


Grace and Judd One Shot’s

by ExpectSpellingErrors



Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-18 13:27:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 28
Words: 24,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29858787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ExpectSpellingErrors/pseuds/ExpectSpellingErrors
Summary: Collection of one shot stories of Grace and Judd Ryder
Relationships: Grace Ryder & Judd Ryder & Tommy Vega (9-1-1 Lone Star), Grace Ryder/Judd Ryder (9-1-1 Lone Star)
Comments: 73
Kudos: 44





	1. Episode 2x05 follow-up

**Author's Note:**

> I was disappointed by how little Grace and Judd time there has been in the last few episodes, and that we didn’t see more of the story from 2x05 so I wrote my own version

*takes place immediately after where the episode left them*

Judd honoured Grace’s wish and didn’t push her to talk as he got ready for bed. Eventually he settled in for the night saddened when Grace didn’t curl into his arms, like she normally did. She always cuddled up to him in her sleep, it was one of Judd’s favourite parts of the day. The next morning Judd could still feel the awkwardness in the room. Grace had gotten up before him and went into their bathroom to change and get ready for the day. This wasn’t that unusual ( _they were often waking up at different times and sneaking about getting ready so as to not wake the other_ ) but this time felt different. This time felt like she was avoiding him.

  
Judd quietly got himself ready for the day ( _neither of them were on shift_ ) and was sitting eating breakfast when Grace emerged. She was dressed in her uniform which confused Judd.  
J: “Your working today?”  
G: “yeah I took an extra shift. Someone called in sick so I said I’d cover”  
J: “okay...well I made breakfast if you’d like to join?”  
G: “m-hm . I’ll see you later”  
With that Grace grabbed a couple of pieces of toast off his plate and rushed out the door, without so much as a bye. “Bye, love you” Judd called out to the empty room. Judd was unnerved, Grace always kissed him goodbye. It was a habit both had acquired after one too many scares with work, they never knew which moment could be the last so they wanted to make sure the other was always secure about their love. Judd quietly cleaned up and decided to finish some overdue tasks around the house. Anything to keep his mind occupied really. He didn’t know what to do but he wanted to help. Grace had never closed off from him like this before and it hurt him more than he’d ever admit.

*later on in the day*

Grace was coming to the end of her extra shift and it had been a slow one. This had given her time to think about everything. She felt incredibly guilty about her behaviour this morning. She had never acted that way around Judd before. She always kissed him goodbye, it was their thing. She was just shaken by all the betrayal from her dad ( _and Judd in a way_ ) and had taken it out on him. Grace decided to pick up a brownie from a bakery she knew he loved on the way home as a peace offering.  
Arriving at the house Grace was surprised to see all the lights were out and Judd was nowhere to be seen. She switched the lights on and looked around the house. She was surprised to see Judd had painted the hall and fixed a squint shelf. These were both tasks she had been on him to do for months.  
Eventually she found him in their attic space, completing another procrastinated task. He didn’t see her at first so she spoke to get his attention. “Judd! What are you doing?”. Judd startled and sat up too quickly bumping his head, before crawling out of the space and standing beside her. “Grace! Your home. How was your shift?”. Grace didn’t like the small talk: they weren’t strangers, they were husband and wife, they shared everything. She decided it was time to bridge the gap. Presenting the box to Judd, she said “I got you one of those brownies you love!”. Judd thanked her and took the brownie, breaking it in half and giving her one section ( _because of course he did, he always does_ ). After the brownie was gone, the awkwardness returned. Grace realised she wasn’t ready to talk and Judd noticed. He returned to his task claiming he really wanted it finished tonight while Grace went to change. They both slept uneasy that night.

This continued on for another few days with them mostly avoiding each other ( _although kisses in greeting and in goodbyes had returned_ ). Everyone else had begun to notice the change in their moods. Grace was subdued at the call centre and Judd kept to himself at the station. He also looked exhausted ( _Judd hadn’t slept properly since he’d found out about Grace’s dad, his brain wouldn’t stop worrying long enough for him to do so_ ), the team had even caught him zoning out on calls a few times. This was when they decided enough was enough. Tommy and Paul ( _who both knew what was going on)_ assured the rest of the team that they would handle it. They agreed that Paul would try and get Judd to sleep while Tommy would reach out to Grace and check in with her.

*Tommys perspective*

Although she appreciated that her friend was struggling, Tommy knew that this wasn’t the solution. Both Grace and Judd were clearly struggling and needed each other but were too blind to see it. Trusting Paul with Judd, she decided to text Grace.  
T: “hey girl, it’s been too long since we’ve had a catch-up. How about tonight after shift. My place around 6?”  
Without waiting for a response, Tommy started to devise a plan. She would get Grace round and ease her in with small talk before getting down to the root. She needed to address Grace’s feelings about her dad and why she was pushing Judd away. Tommy then returned her focus to the shift, happy to see that when she passed the bunk room Judd was fast asleep under Paul’s supervision. She inquired “how did you manage that so quickly?”. Paul responded “It wasn’t hard. The man clearly hasn’t slept in days. All I had to do was change the lighting in the room to make it favourable for sleep and switch his coffee for tea and out he went”. Tommy thanked him for looking out for her friend before continuing to her office. She stopped by Owen’s office en route to tell him that Judd would be sitting out the rest of the days calls as he wasn’t well enough to contribute to them. She didn’t divulge any further information, deciding to respect the privacy of two of her closest friends.

*Grace’s perspective*

Grace arrived at Tommy’s just after 6 to find Charles and the girls had made themselves scarce. Tommy was sitting waiting on her. Knowing Tommy as well as she did, Grace immediately noticed the “tell your version to the court” nature of Tommy’s body language. Nervously Grace sat down and decided to just bite the bullet “I’m guessing this is about my dad or Judd?”. Appreciating that they weren’t going to dance around the topic Tommy dived in with “of course it is. Listen girl I know you are struggling. I know that your world was rocked by finding out your dad wasn’t the man you thought he was. I appreciate that. And I know the part Judd played in that- hell I was the one that warned him about what would happen if he didn’t tell you”. Sensing there was more Grace quietly said “but?”. Tommy continued “but this isn’t healthy Grace. What’s happening between you and Judd right now? The distance. That’s not the actions of a loving marriage, that’s the makings of a divorce girl. And you both need to fix this before it’s too late”. When Grace didn’t say anything, Tommy decided to change her approach  
T: “have you noticed that Judd hasn’t slept in a week?”  
G: “What? That’s impossible. He goes to sleep each night, he’s in the bed next to me”  
T: “yes he goes to bed but he doesn’t sleep. I don’t think he’s had more than a few hours in days. He keeps zoning out at work. He’s exhausted Gracie and you don’t need me to tell you how dangerous that is in our line of work”  
G: “he never said anything to me...”  
T: “that’s the problem. You two aren’t talking. At all from what I can see. And that’s not like you both. As long as I’ve known the two of you together you’ve always spoken about everything. Hell I even found it annoying back in the day when you’d have a full conversation next to me without exchanging any words”  
Grace smiled slightly at that, almost as if she couldn’t help herself when thinking about her early days with Judd. Thinking Tommy’s words over, Grace realised Tommy was right. In hindsight Judd had had bags under his eyes for days and his body language had not been peaceful at night. She had just been too stuck in her own head and emotions to notice. This was all it took for Grace to crack. She started crying and asked “oh god. Tommy what have I done? How can I save my marriage? I need him T. He’s my sweet Judd”. Wrapping Grace in her arms Tommy responded “it’s not over yet. It can still be saved. I promise. All you have to do is go to him, and talk to him. Really talk. Lay it all out on the table for him and listen to his response. You will be okay, both of you”. Still sniffling Grace gathered up her belongings and turned to leave. On the way out she called back “thanks T. I owe you one. Your a great friend...do you know where I can find Judd?” “The station. He was fast asleep in the bunk room when I left”.

Grace drove to the station, thinking about Judd the whole way. She knew what he had been trying to do and she appreciated his side but it had still stung to know he hadn’t told her something so big. Although she knew she couldn’t say for certain she would have told him, had the situation been in reverse. Maybe she’d have also tried to protect him. And she had to acknowledge that he did come to tell her, he just didn’t know she already knew by then. It had all gotten so complicated so fast and at the end of the day this wasn’t the fault of either of them. They hadn’t done anything wrong, her father had. She knew that was part of the reason she had pushed Judd away so much, she felt betrayed by one of the two most important men in her life and it made her nervous that the other might betray her too. But that wasn’t fair on Judd. He had never given her a reason to doubt his fidelity and she wasn’t about to start doing so without one. Arriving at the station she passed the next crew and found Judd in the bunk room. When she entered Paul stood up from the bed next to Judd and left, smiling at her slightly as he passed. Grace would have to remember to thank him properly, along with Tommy, for their help today.  
Grace sat on the edge of the bed and ran her hand down Judd’s back a few times until he stirred ( _it seemed he really was tired. He was usually fairly easy to rouse from sleep_ ). He looked up at her through bloodshot eyes and muttered confused “Gracie? What are you doing here?... ( _looking at the time on his phone)_ why am I still here? Shifts over”. Judd went to get up but Grace stopped him and asked that they talk first. She opened her heart to him and told him all her fears originating from her dads actions and apologised for pushing him away. In response Judd opened up to her about how much it had hurt to be pushed away and how he really had meant well with his actions. Both content that they were back on good terms, they took the others hand and left together. From that night onwards they both slept peacefully together once again. Judd even agreed to come as moral support when Grace told her mother.


	2. Confronting Benjamin Williams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grace confronts her father about his affair and tells her mother.

After resolving things with Judd, Grace decided it was time. She had been hurt with Judd for keeping her fathers affair a secret from her and she wasn’t about to do the same to her mother. Denise Williams deserved better. Grace invited both over for dinner under the pretence of catching up.  
Grace was nervous. This would be the first time she had seen her father since she found out. She hadn’t even spoken to him on the phone, she was too angry. Thankfully she had Judd by her side to calm her nerves and have her back.

When the elder Williams arrived Grace politely led them inside as if this was just any other Sunday dinner. Denise smiled brightly at Grace in greeting, making a pit of despair grow in Grace- she hated that she would have to be the one to remove that happiness. Sensing her tension, Judd gave Grace’s shoulder a quick squeeze as he took her parents coats. Judd welcomed Denise with a chaste kiss to the cheek, as he always did.

Once the food was served Grace decided to dive right in. “So dad, I was thinking about your incident the other week. You said you got a milkshake? I didn’t know the Cecil sold milkshakes?”. Benjamin hesitated, visibly caught off guard before responding “neither did I. I was just looking for anything to get my blood sugars up and saw they sold milkshakes”. Grace continued prodding “but isn’t it an Asian bistro?”. Sensing that something was going on Denise interrupted “is something the matter sweetheart?”. Grace reached for Judd’s hand under the table and felt him squeeze hers in support. It was time to rip off the bandaid. Grace looked to Benjamin and simply stated “Dad, I know” and watched as his face paled nervously. She then turned to her puzzled mother and started her explanation.  
“Mama, daddy wasn’t at the hotel for a milkshake, nor was he at the gym beforehand. He was upstairs in a room. ( _Grace paused to gather herself before delivering the news_ ). He was with another woman Mama”  
Denise was stunned silent. Of all the things she had expected to be the explanation for her daughter’s peculiar behaviour that was not it. The room fell into an awkward silence before Denise spoke softly to Benjamin “is it true?”. When he didn’t immediately respond she tried again more forcefully “Benjamin is it true?”. He nodded “yes it’s true. Denise I’m sorry...”. Denise held up her hand to stop his apology “I don’t want to hear it. At least not right now”. She then turned to Grace and asked if she could stay for the night. Grace nodded ( _she had expected as much_ ) and offered the information that the guest bedroom was already set up for her. With that Denise left the table to go to the bedroom. She needed to be alone to process the news.

The remaining three were still silent at the table. Judd looked to Grace for confirmation of whether she wanted him to make himself scarce for the next part. She silently told him to stay. Grace then turned to her father.  
“Dad I am very disappointed in you. I thought you knew better than that. You always told me that good men don’t cheat yet here we are. I think you should go home now, mama’s going to stay with me and Judd for the time being. I’d appreciate if you gave her some distance and let her take the lead”.  
Benjamin hung his head in shame for a minute. He then looked up with a glare on his face. He turned his glare on Judd and started to rant at him. “You told her? What happened to not telling Grace because you care too much about her? Where’s your loyalty?”. Grace interjected before Judd could. “Enough! You will not speak to him like that. Not in my house, hell not anywhere. His loyalty ( _Grace sneered the word out sarcastically_ ) lies with me! And for the record he didn’t tell me, I figured it out before he got the chance! Because I know my husband. I know what goes unsaid. He tried to protect me from you, something he shouldn’t have to do. A daddy should treat his baby’s mama with respect. He shouldn’t cheat!”. Benjamin went to interrupt but Grace continued “you owe Judd an apology. And mama but that’s for another day. You owe Judd one right now. For putting him in this position. For risking my marriage for the sake of your affair. After all the grief you gave him about not being good enough for me! Look who’s not ‘good enough’ now.”. Benjamin turned to Judd “I’m sorry son, for putting you in that position. That was wrong of me. I should have told them as soon as you knew. It wasn’t right of me to leave it up to you” Judd nodded accepting the apology. Grace then pointed to the door “now that that is dealt with i think you should leave. I think that would be for the best”. Benjamin accepted this, starting to realise Grace was right. He gathered his things and went to leave. Just before he left he turned to Grace and whispered “I’m sorry Gracie girl. I never meant for you to get hurt”.

With that he was gone and the room fell silent once again. Judd stood still not sure what to do next until he heard Grace sniffle. He immediately rushed over, gathering her into his arms as she cried. She had lost the man she thought her father was and she needed time to grieve that. Once Grace’s sniffles had settled she freed herself from Judd’s arms and told him to go get ready for bed- she would be in shortly, she just had to speak to her mother first.

Knocking gently Grace let herself into the spare room. She sat on the bed by her mother and started “mama I’m sorry you had to hear this way. I didn’t know how to tell you but I couldn’t keep it from you. You deserved the truth”. Denise smiled at her baby “I know sweetheart. I know. I’m glad you told me. Even if it was hard for me to hear. I’m also glad you have Judd ( _Grace looked at her confused until she continued)_ I heard everything. The walls aren’t that thick. It sounds like Judd has had your back through all this. I’m glad you have that, baby girl. That man truly loves you. He always did” ( _Denise had accepted the part Judd would grow to play in their daughters life long before Benjamin had)_. Grace nodded and smiled as she responded “and I love him”. Denise bid her daughter goodnight still not ready to talk yet. Grace honoured her mother’s wishes and returned to the master bedroom where she found Judd waiting for her. She changed and climbed into bed next to him. She gave him a sweet kiss and when he asked “what was that for?” Grace responded simply “for being you”. Everything wasn’t resolved ( _it wasn’t an overnight fix_ ) but Grace slept easier that night. A weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hadn’t intended to finish this chapter so soon but here we are!
> 
> This is the end of my chapters inspired by 2x05.


	3. No Words Needed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short and sweet.

Grace had experienced a long day at the call centre. The calls had been non-stop all day and Grace swore they were getting weirder and weirder. All she wanted was for her shift to be over so she could go home and cuddle up with her husband. She absentmindedly twirled with her wedding ring as she again said “911. What’s your emergency?” After finishing up for the day Grace said her goodbyes to her coworkers and drove home. Upon entering her home Grace abandoned her shoes and draped her jacket over the furniture. Something she normally would have scolded Judd for doing, but she was too exhausted to care.

Speaking of Judd, Grace observed that the house was unusually quiet. She knew Judd had gotten off shift a little over an hour ago so should be around somewhere. Deciding he’d show up eventually Grace went into their room intending to change into her pyjamas. When she got there she found Judd, already in his pyjamas, lying on the bed and holding up takeout packages from her favourite place. Grace quietly changed and climbed in next to him, incredibly grateful for him. She knew that they had planned a date night out for tonight but after the day she’d had she was no longer in the mood for that. She appreciated that he understood ( _he’d probably had a hectic day too_ ) and was happy to have a more low-key evening instead. Judd handed Grace her share of the meal and brought out their laptop with Netflix open. Grace smiled, knowing no words were needed and cuddled into her husband. They settled in to eat and watch a movie.

Later on, when the movie had ended, and the takeout containers had been discarded on the bedside tables, Grace fell asleep in Judd’s arms and thanked the universe for bringing him into her life. He had given her the kind of evening she’d been dreaming of all day as she struggled through her shift.


	4. Double Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Date Night takes a turn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As a warning there are some dark themes to this one

Grace was enjoying a double date night with Judd, Tommy Vega and her husband Charles. They were all laughing and having a great time. Grace got up, giving Judd a quick kiss on the cheek and headed for the bathroom. As she walked across the bar she felt someone’s eyes following her. Looking around and seeing nothing obvious, she ignored the negative gut feeling she had. On the way back from the table Grace ordered another round for the table and headed back to join the others after the bartender assured her that the drinks would be over soon. Returning to the company of her loved ones and joining in on their conversation Grace forgot all about the uneasy feeling.

_*An hour or so later*_

Grace finished a conversation she had been having with Tommy and looked over to see Judd looking pale next to her. “Judd, sweetheart are you okay?” “Huh” Judd mumbled glancing over at her through clouded eyes. “Have you had one too many, my love? ( _Turning to Tommy_ )...T I think it might be time for me to take this one home”.

Standing and helping Judd into his jacket, Grace said her goodbyes to Tommy and Charles, who had also decided to leave. As Judd stood up from the table, he stumbled, only remaining upright when Charles and Grace grabbed onto each of his arms to stabilise him. Judd turned his head slowly towards Grace quietly mumbling “Gracie. don’t feel so good...Th’nk m gon be sick” .

Hearing this Charles wrapped an arm around Judd and led him to the men’s room. Seeing Grace’s worried glance, Charles reassured her “Don’t worry Grace. I’ve got him”. Grace lasted 10 minutes of Tommy trying to distract her by joking that Charles can handle Judd, as he’s nothing in comparison to their two daughters, before she starts panicking. Tommy offers to text Charles on behalf of Grace for an update. Tommy: “Grace is freaking out. I don’t think I can hold her off much longer. How’s Judd?”

Charles: “It’s not good. He’s thrown up a couple of times now and he still doesn’t look well”

Tommy: “I don’t understand how he ended up so drunk. He seemed fine, and he didn’t have much more than the rest of us”

Charles: “exactly. Maybe he was feeling ill beforehand and didn’t say?”

Charles again: “I don’t think we’ll be leaving this bathroom anytime soon. Tell Grace to just come in. We’re the only people in here at the moment anyway”

Tommy looked up to update Grace, finding her already heading towards the bathroom. Reaching the bathrooms, Grace flung open the door and ran over to the stall both men currently occupied. “Charles, how’s my baby?” Grace practically shoved Charles away, before crouching down behind Judd to rub his back as he got sick again. All of a sudden Judd passed out, hitting his head off the toilet as he fell to the floor. Grace screamed and Tommy jumped into paramedic mode, with Charles calling 9-1-1 as Grace was too distraught to do so herself.

_*The next morning*_

Judd woke up panicked in a hospital bed. He had no idea where he was and why he felt so awful.

“Judd. Honey are you awake?”

Grace. Grace would know what had happened. Opening his eyes slowly, Judd saw Grace leaning over him with a sad smile and one hand running through his hair. Seeing her immediately calmed most of his fear. “Hey Gracie” “how much do you remember, my love?” “I finished my shift and we went to the bar with Tommy and Charles for a double date. I think? I have no idea why I’m in hospital” “Yes baby, that’s true. We did go to the bar but you...( _Grace paused to fight back some tears, catching Judd’s full attention. He never did like when Grace cried_ ) you were drugged baby.” Judd was confused, he was drugged? When? By who?

Ignoring his internal thoughts Grace continued “There was a man at the bar that had been watching me. Someone else in the bar, who had seen him, reported it to the police after they saw what happened to you. It appears he was trying to drug me ( _Judd was livid at the audacity of this stranger to try and drug his Gracie_ ) but got the wrong drink and got you instead”

Judd, slowly processing the information responded “but your okay? And Tommy and Charles? Nobody else got drugged?” “Yes baby, we are all okay. Just you, Judd”.

Judd closed his eyes, sending a silent prayer of thanks that he had been the one to drink the poisoned drink. He would much rather be the one sick than Grace any-day. Deciding to drop the conversation and instead focus on Judd’s recovery ( _he was looking very tired_ ), Grace climbed into the hospital bed with Judd. She dropped a kiss to his lips and told him

“I’m so glad you are okay. I was so scared...I love you Judson Ryder. With all my heart”

With that she lay down on his chest and fell asleep listening to Judd’s steady breathing as he too fell into a peaceful slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was actually the first story I wrote for this series. It gave me the idea to explore the characters further.


	5. Caught

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stealing Kisses in the bar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the comments and kudos on the last few chapters. I really appreciate them!
> 
> This one made me laugh to write. I hope we get a scene like this

The 126 were all at the honky tonk. Each of their significant others had tagged along for the evening. Marjan, Paul and Mateo were all over by the bar, they were on a quest to get the probie a date. This left them oblivious to what everyone else was doing. Carlos and TK were also oblivious, too wrapped up in each other’s eyes. Owen had disappeared some time ago and; Tommy and Nancy had both sat the evening out. This left Judd and Grace in a corner booth enjoying each other’s company and their drinks. Grace was laughing at Marjan teaching Mateo to dance in the distance when she felt Judd staring at her.  
G: “Have I got something on my face cowboy?” J: “Nothing at all Gracie. You look as radiant as ever”.

Grace snorted and called him “Charmer” before leaning over to peck his lips. Grace was surprised when Judd boldly deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue past her lips. Grace returned the action for a few minutes, fully drinking him in before pulling back.

“Steady on sweetheart. We’re in public” Grace said gesturing to their surroundings. Judd just gave her a devilish grin before pointing out that everyone was too caught up in their own actions to notice. Grace never could resist when Judd grinned at her like that so she caved leaning in to continue their make out session. ( _The alcohol had loosened Grace up more than she realised she surmised. Although she wasn’t feeling quite as loose as Judd clearly was_ ).

Before long both were in their own world, oblivious to what was happening around them. Both jumped apart when they heard someone clear their throat. Grace sheepishly looked up to find her husband’s team all looking at them. Paul who had been the one to clear his throat was looking at them visibly amused and Marjan was bent over laughing. Even Carlos and TK were looking at them with open amusement. Mateo was the only one missing ( _it appeared the plan had worked after all, he was having his own session across the bar_ ). A laughing TK covered his eyes and announced “oh god I can’t unsee that. My eyes!” While Marjan told them to “get a room lovebirds!”. Judd just chucked his napkin at them and told them to leave him alone.

“None of you can talk. TK you’ve been grinding on Carlos all night and Marjan look at probie. You encouraged him to do it! Why can’t I?”.

Paul, ever the perceptive one, distracted the others and left Grace and Judd alone again. Not before Marjan threw a “use protection kids!” over her shoulder. This had Judd bright red in the face and stuttering out a “children all of them” to Grace. Grace just laughed and reminded him “I think we’re the ones acting like teenagers in this situation darling”. Seeing that Judd was still pouting at being interrupted, Grace leaned in and whispered “how about we head home cowboy? Maybe finish what we started?”. Judd was up like a shot, pulling Grace out of the bar as he went. Grace giggled the whole walk home.

None of the 126 were surprised to see the booth empty when they next looked over. If nothing else it gave them new material to tease Judd with, something they were excited about.


	6. New Recruit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new recruit is mean to Judd and Grace finds out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Grace seems to me like she has strong protective instincts- this was me exploring that idea

Grace stormed her way into the station with focus. Tommy met her near the entrance and pointed her towards the office’s. Marjan, Paul and TK all watched on in confusion. After Grace had left the room, they turned to Tommy awaiting an explanation. Tommy told them that the new recruit who was filling in for Mateo, ( _He had called out sick for a few days_ )had gotten into it with Judd. 

* _flashback to slightly earlier in the day_ *

Judd was struggling after a call so had retreated to the bunk room to phone Grace. While on the phone John _(the new recruit_ ) had come in after Judd and decided to challenge him.  
“Hey redneck. Loose the attitude! Stop acting like baby and whining just because the Captain benched you on that last call” 

( _ what John didn’t know was that Owen had seen Judd struggling with the call, that was similar to the explosion, and allowed him to participate from afar _ ). Judd turned around to ask the guy what his problem was, putting his phone down and forgetting to hang up with Grace. As the argument evolved, Grace overheard John say some horrible things to her husband and disregard his PTSD. She decided she’d had enough and was going to come down to the station to deal with this herself. In the meantime she texted Tommy for help.

Grace: “Hey T, are you busy?” 

Tommy: “not too bad at the moment. How’s you girl?” 

Grace: “I’m good. Listen would you mind checking in on Judd for me?” 

Tommy: “sure girl. I’ll go find Juddy. Everything okay?” 

Grace: “call me. I’ll explain” 

As she drove to the station Grace filled Tommy in on what she overheard. Shocked Tommy went and got Judd from the bunk room and brought him to her office. He was unusually quiet, which unnerved Tommy but she knew Grace would know what to do and decided to settle for just sitting with him for the time being. 

After receiving a text from Grace to let Tommy know she’d arrived, Tommy left Judd alone to go collect Grace. 

* _returns to timeline from start_ *

Grace can hear Tommy filling in the rest of the crew as she walks off but she doesn’t mind. She has one person on her mind and one person only. Judd. She has to go make sure he’s okay.   
The second Grace entered the office and Judd noticed her, tears sprung to his eyes and he crumbled. He’d been struggling all day and Grace was his safe place.  
Grace quickly rushed over gathering him into her arms and rocking him back and forth on the chair while he cried into her shoulder. She whispered words of comfort and reassurance in his ear as he wept. Eventually his breathing levelled and the sniffling stopped. She realised he’d fallen asleep. Grace carefully extracted herself from his arms and laid him as comfortably as possible on the chair in Tommy’s office. She decided she had one more task to complete. 

Grace opened the door to the office and found to Tommy standing guard outside it.

”Oh sorry T, didn’t see you there” 

“it’s okay Grace. How’s he doing?”

Grace didn’t know how long they’d been in there but judging from Tommy’s concerned expression she guessed it had been a while.

“He’s asleep now. Cried himself to exhaustion. I’ll come and waken him to take him home in a minute. I just need to have a quick chat with this newbie first” 

Tommy smiled at her friend, forever in awe at Grace’s protective instincts over her loved ones and answered the unspoken question “I’ll continue keeping guard. Make sure that nobody disturbs him. You go say what you have to. Remember I know nothing about whatever is about to happen”.

Grace nods and heads away. She finds TK in the kitchen and asks him where the newbie is. TK directs her and follows after her, ready to have her back in defending his surrogate big brother. Finding the newbie Grace turns on her southern charm. “Hello. I don’t believe I know you. Nice to meet you” John looks on confused as to who this woman is and why she’s allowed in the station in the midst of a pandemic. He’s also spotted TK standing behind her observing the interaction. “Hello ma’am. Nice to meet you” Grace continues “oh where are my manners...I’m Grace Ryder” John’s face pales as he recognises the last name Ryder from Judd’s uniform. This woman must be his wife. TK can’t help the smirk that crosses his face when he notices John’s face cloud with fear at the realisation of who Grace is. Deciding she’s had enough of the pleasantries, Grace leans in and says to John in a hard voice 

“I believe you had a little chat with my husband earlier. Just know that if I hear of you speaking to him like that again, then a burning fire will be the least of your problems” 

With that Grace turned and left heading back to Tommy and Judd. TK looked at John with an expression that conveyed “she means it” before also leaving and returning to what he’d been doing before. They both heard John gulp as they left. It appeared he had received the message. 

Grace met Tommy at the door to her office again. Tommy opened with “I’ve spoke to Owen. Judd is good to leave for the day”. “Thank you girl. I appreciate it. Have a safe shift” and with that Grace goes in and wakes Judd up. “Hey honey, time to get up” Grace says shaking his shoulder. Judd stirs and starts to apologise as the memories come back. “Grace I’m sorry about the..” Grace cuts him off quickly: “I hope your not about to apologise for having emotions, Judson Ryder”. “no ma’am” Grace smiles at that, kissing Judd quickly before telling him to get up “come on home. Your off the rest of shift. It’s cleared with Owen”. As Judd held her hand and walked out of the station, his attention was captured by a shying John and a smirking TK. He decided Grace must have something to do with that and asked “hey Gracie. What did you do?” Grace responded “nothing you need to worry about cowboy. Come on let’s go home” with that they left and Judd got to find out the story later when TK text him telling him how amazing his wife was.


	7. Zoom Interruptions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grace is trying to focus in a meeting. Judd has other ideas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this one yesterday during a zoom meeting. It’s not been edited (so will probably have spelling errors) but I like the way it turned out

It was the end of the first full week of lockdown and the Ryder household was beginning to feel the effects. Grace was currently TRYING to keep a straight face and remain professional during a zoom meeting highlighting the plan for dispatchers. Judd, however was pushing her to breaking point.

Grace was sat at the counter connecting their kitchen and living room. Judd was in the kitchen making their breakfast ( _ this would have been fine but he was clearly in a mischievous mood _ ). Judd had made it his goal to make Grace laugh. In order to achieve this he had gone through dad dancing, pulling funny faces at Grace like she was a baby and now miming dramatically along to a pop song playing faintly on their radio. Grace’s resolve finally broke when Judd moonwalked through their kitchen singing into a spatula. She had to hold up her coffee mug to cover her mouth ( _ and mute her mic _ ) as she laughed out loud. Judd whooped in celebration, proud of his accomplishment.

When the meeting was finally over, Grace rounded the counter and smacked Judd’s backside with a dish towel. 

G: “I cannot believe you! I was trying to be professional and here you are prancing about the kitchen!”. 

She rolled her eyes at him but Judd saw the sparkle there. She had secretly loved the ‘Show’. “Only for you baby” Judd commented leaning down for a kiss. Grace relented and kissed him back. This distracted Judd long enough for Grace to reach behind him and grab a handful of flour from a bowl on the counter. She then pulled back from the kiss and threw the flour at his face. It hit Judd square on covering his face in flour and leaving him blinking at her in the perfect mix of amusement and confusion. “Oh it’s so on!” Judd announced before grabbing his own handful. 

Before long there was a full flour fight happening and they were both covered from head to toe. They continued the game laughing hysterically and yelling things along the lines of “you can’t catch me!”, “is that all you’ve got” at each other for a half hour. 

Eventually Judd managed to get behind Grace and pick her up. Grace squealed and swung her legs out in front of her instinctively. Judd decided to drop down on his back with Grace still in his arms. This left both of them lying on the coated floor, covered in flour and cackling. Once her laughter had subsided some, Grace rolled over and kissed Judd once more.

G: “you are an idiot!” 

J: “your idiot?!”

G: “my idiot indeed...come on husband. Let’s get ourselves cleaned off and then we can tackle this mess”.

J: “and eat breakfast? I am rather hungry”. Almost on cue, Judd’s stomach rumbled loudly. Grace just grinned and offered him a hand up. 

Maybe the extra time spent together quarantining wouldn’t be so bad after all. 


	8. Designated Driver

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grace and Tommy celebrate girl’s night a little too much. It’s Judd to the rescue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The spelling errors in this one are obviously intentional (although it still felt strange to not fix them) and are intended to convey just how ‘loose’ Grace is feeling.
> 
> As always hope everyone enjoys!

Grace and Tommy had decided they deserved a long overdue girls night. They had gotten dressed up, gone out for dinner and were now at a bar. Both had consumed their fair share of drinks and were giddy. Per a pre-arranged arrangement, Grace text Judd at around 1am to come and collect them. 

G: hey Baby❤️❤️❤️❤️ m rea.dy to cme home. Come clect us?

J: oh hell Gracie. How many have you two had?

G: love you Hansme 😘😘 T sys hi Juddy!

J: love you too😘. sit tight Grace. I’ll be there in 10 minutes. Are you in the bar you told me you wanted to go to?

G: T jst got a fre drnk! Thnks Baby😘❤️😘

Realising he wasn’t going to get any actual information out of Grace, Judd got his keys and headed for his truck. He was thankful that he had the foresight to ask Grace where they planned to go before her night out. He grabbed a bottle of water for each of the women ( _he knew Grace was probably already guaranteed to have a killer hangover the next day but he was going to try and save her_ ) and drove.

Arriving at the bar Judd spotted Grace and Tommy chatting animatedly to each other in a corner booth. He walked over and slid in next to them. Judd was surprised when Grace immediately sat herself down on his lap and started playing with his hair as she continued her conversation with Tommy. He spent 5 minutes listening to them talk over each other as they narrated their evening to him, and another 5 convincing Grace that he couldn’t have any of her “amazing cocktail. Judd you have to try it! You’ll love it” as he was the designated driver. Eventually Judd managed to ease both out of the booth and he took off for the exit with an arm around each woman ( _he was worried to let them go. They weren’t particularly steady on their feet_ ).

Just as he was about to make his exit, a group of young woman stopped him. They called “Hey! Hey! leave them alone!” at Judd as they made their way over. They then decided to ask Grace and Tommy if they knew Judd. Both were of no help whatsoever, as Grace simply proceeded to attach herself to Judd like a koala and Tommy was busy laughing at something happening inside her head. Appreciating what the girls were trying to do, Judd attempted to reassure them that he knew both Grace and Tommy:

“I promise ladies. I mean no harm. This one here is my wife ( _he points at Grace wrapped around his waist_ ) and this one is our friend ( _Tommy was on her phone now- presumably texting Charles_ ). I’m the designated driver”

The woman were still looking at him skeptically so Judd decided to get them proof. He pulled his driving license from his wallet and got Grace’s from her purse. He then held both licenses up so that the girls could see the matching last names and address. This along with how at ease Tommy and Grace seemed ( _by now Grace was babbling about how much she loved Judd and moving her hand down to a place that Judd had now swatted it away from three times_ ) with Judd convinced the girls that he did in fact know them. Crisis averted, Judd manoeuvred both women into his truck ( _this was a task in and of itself_ ) and drove to Tommy’s. The second Charles opened the door Judd thrust Tommy into his arms and left shouting a “good luck” over his shoulder.   
Another ten minutes later and Judd was carrying a now fast asleep Grace into their home ( _she had dosed off in the truck after Tommy left. Judd’s heart swelled at the reminder that she felt safe enough with him to sleep anywhere_ ). After changing Grace into some pyjamas and removing her make-up, Judd set up some painkillers and water on her bedside table. He then climbed into bed alongside her.

* _the next morning_ *

Grace awoke with the worst hangover she had experienced in years. She opened her eyes and gratefully spotted the supplies on her bedside table ( _her sweet Judd. Always so prepared and good at taking care of her_ ). After consuming both she eased back into the bed and tried to focus on calming her stomach. Shortly after Judd appeared from the kitchen, bringing with him breakfast in bed for her. They sat in a comfortable silence while Grace ate her breakfast ( _and Judd finished what she couldn’t yet manage_ ). Afterwards Grace felt a little better. She decided to ask Judd about him picking them up. It was all a little fuzzy to her ( _she vaguely remembered sitting on his lap and talking to some girls about him being a stranger? Not that she could make sense of that_ ). Judd spent the rest of the morning filling Grace in on what he knew of her evening and listening to her groan and laugh at the appropriate points as memories of her own came back. It appeared her and Tommy had well and truly painted the town red. Maybe next time they’d have to be more careful. Or not. Grace knew that whatever happened, no matter how wild of a night she had, she could always count on Judd to come and rescue her. She was always going to make it home safe, he would make sure of it.


	9. There’s a snake in my boot!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Ryder’s get an unexpected (and unwanted) visitor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t know about anyone else but after the ending of that episode I needed a silly/fluff story so I went searching through my drafts and found this
> 
> Title taken from ‘Toy Story’

Grace was cooking chilli for her and Judd’s dinner while Judd had a shower. She was humming along happily to the country station on the radio when she heard Judd scream. Immediately shutting off the appliances ( _she had been married to a firefighter too long to leave kitchen appliances unintended- along with what she’d heard at the call centre_ ) Grace hurried to their en-suite bathroom to investigate.  
She flung open the bedroom door and found Judd standing barefoot on their bed, in his pyjamas. He was holding up a towel like a net and looking around anxiously. Spotting her, he beckoned her over and pulled her up onto the bed with him.   
G: “babe what the hell are you doing?”

J: “sshh I almost got him.”

G: “got who? I don’t understand Judd”

Pointing at their wardrobe, Judd exclaimed “there’s a snake in my boot”. Shocked Grace responded

“A snake?!? In our bedroom? Oh hell no! Get it out Judson! I’m not sleeping in here with a snake. No sir!”

Almost as if the snake had heard them, it emerged and slithered across the floor. Judd ( _who was terrified of snakes_ ) decided he had to be brave, he had to protect Grace. His fear could wait. He leaned over the side of the bed to try and catch the snake with the towel while Grace wrapped her arm around his waist to steady him. This continued for a good ten minutes, with the snake evading capture and Judd growing more frustrated. Grace decided to join his efforts ( _ever the brave one_ ) and tried to catch the snake from the other side of the bed. It was an almost comical sight ( _if anyone had been witness_ ) to see a seasoned firefighter and 9-1-1 operator, both laid out on their bed reaching over each side and trying unsuccessfully to catch a snake.  
Eventually, by a stroke of pure luck, Judd caught the snake and quickly sprinted to the front door to get it out and away as quickly as possible. Grace followed and opened the door, closing it rapidly once the snake was out and Judd was back in. Both let out a sigh of relief and returned to making dinner. So much for a quiet and non-eventful evening. At least, Grace thought to herself, nobody had been witness to their ridiculous attempts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoiler alert? :
> 
> Thankfully I think both will survive as the format of them being in danger followed by an episode centred around them, is the same as the “begins” episodes in the original 9-1-1


	10. Vertically Challenged

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a silly, quick story about Grace being short.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Being only slightly over 5 ft myself, this one resonated for me.
> 
> Also I cannot believe I’ve got 10 chapters on this story. I wasn’t sure initially if I was going to keep posting and writing these but I guess I am

Grace Ryder was nothing if not determined. She had always been a fighter, never one to appear as if she needed anyone’s help. So when it came to her height, Grace followed this trend.

This is how she had found herself standing on top of a ladder and trying to fix their rain gutter. It had fallen down and was swinging about in the wind. Normally Judd handled these things but he was on shift and Grace was done waiting. So here she was.  
Judd came home from his shift to see Grace up a ladder at the side of the house. He immediately rushed over and shouted up to her.  
J:”Gracie! Babe what are you doing?”

G: “oh hi honey! I’m fixing the rain gutter. It’s been swinging about in the wind and I don’t want it to damage the window”

J: “eh how about you leave that to me darlin’? I can fix it”

Teasingly Grace responded: “oh feeling threatened cowboy? Don’t want little old me to do your big manly task?”. Judd knew Grace and could hear the teasing nature of her tone- she was trying to bait him into saying something stupid or sexist. Judd laughed and responded “oh not at all baby. I know you are way more capable than me. I just don’t want you getting hurt. You know, like I always do” _(Over the years_ , _Grace had patched up hundreds of little scrapes and bruises Judd had gotten from fixing things around the house_ ).Grace rolled her eyes at this and went back to her task. Soon, a strong gust of wind had her getting knocked off the ladder and flung into Judd’s awaiting arms. He had seen what was about to happen and was prepared. His Gracie was not getting injured on his watch, no Ma’am. Grace just giggled and muttered “my Hero” into his shoulder as she nuzzled it. The ‘told you so’ went unsaid.  
And when later that night Judd went back and finished the task Grace said nothing. Maybe she would let Judd handle the higher up tasks- not that she wasn’t capable, just that she might as well utilise the tall cowboy at her disposal.


	11. Judd’s Sick day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Judd gets sent home sick from work

Grace was enjoying a day off from the call centre. Judd was off shift at 4pm but in the meantime, only Grace was at the house. She was collecting their mail and chatting with a neighbour when Tommy’s car pulled into her driveway. Surprised Grace turned towards the car, worried about the bad news she might be about to face. ( _ Tommy was here. Partway through a shift with Judd. Judd must be hurt. Calm down Grace, don’t jump to conclusions. He’s fine. Judd is okay. Tommy must be here for another reason _ ). Tommy emerged from the car and walked over to Grace and the neighbour.

Tommy: “Sorry to interrupt Girl but I’ve got something here that belongs to you”

Seeing Grace’s panicked expression, Tommy was quick to reassure. “He’s okay, I promise. Nothing bad happened. He’s just got a case of the flu. Isn’t that right Juddy?”. With that Judd slowly emerged from the car, hugging a bucket and looking pale. 

Grace rushed over to him, wrapping an arm around his waist. She called out an apology to the neighbour and a promise to catch up another time while she led Judd into the house with Tommy trailing behind. Once inside, Judd laid down on their couch. Grace grabbed a blanket and draped it over him before removing his shoes. She took the bucket from his arms and laid it by his head before joining Tommy in their kitchen, where she’d started to make some tea. 

Glancing over at Judd every few minutes, Grace started a conversation with Tommy.

G: “thank you T. For bringing him home yourself. I know how stubborn he can be. Probably insisted he could drive himself” 

T laughed at this: “Don’t I know it. ( _ Opening her shirt pocket, she pulled out Judd’s truck keys _ ) I had to hide these and watch him search for them for 20 minutes before he eventually caved and allowed me to drive”

Grace rolled her eyes at this: 

“At least he’s consistent, my fool. Do you remember that first time he got sick after we were together?“.

Both women giggled at the memory, shaking their heads. How could they forget Grace’s tiny frame wrapped around each of Judd’s long legs trying to slow him down while Tommy blocked his bedroom door. It had taken them hours to get him back to bed that day, with him insistent he was capable to go do his shift. ( _ Grace had already phoned ahead and called out for him _ ). Once their laughter about the past had subsided Tommy continued: “Guess I should consider myself lucky he didn’t put up as much of a fight this time. For someone so willing to help everyone else at the drop of a hat, he’s awful at accepting the same in return” 

Grace’s smile faded at that, remembering the root of Judd’s reluctance to ask for help. Tommy sobered as well, knowing less than Grace about his childhood, but still more than most. 

Eventually Tommy stood up: “Well good luck girl. I better get back to shift. Call me if you need anything”. Grace walked Tommy out with a promise she would call if needed. Just as Tommy was leaving Grace called out one last question “Care to explain the bucket?”. Tommy smirked and responded “if you think I was letting him get sick in my car...” before shaking her head and leaving. 

Grace walked over to where Judd was tossing and turning on the couch. She had left him there when Tommy was here but now that she was gone, Grace decided he’d be better suited in their bed. She shook him awake and led a disoriented Judd through their house ( _ a few pictures on the wall and a vase fell casualty to his movements _ ) until she got to their room. Judd flopped himself down on the bed half-asleep while Grace went to work at stripping him of his uniform. She decided to leave him on top of the covers in his boxers until his fever broke. She left him unattended briefly to clean up the mess he had left in the hall, and grab some crackers and water for when he was feeling up for them. Then she picked up Tommy’s bucket deciding it might not be a bad precaution to have by the bed, before returning. She tucked herself under the covers beside him and grabbed their laptop, opening Netflix.   
This way she was there ready and waiting for when he woke up an hour later sprinting to their bathroom, an hour after that when he was shivering and just wanted cuddled, and in the middle of the night when he decided he was ready to test putting food in his stomach. He might still be stubborn with everybody else when sick but Grace was glad he had grown to trust her enough to let her care for him. It was a job she was more than happy to do, even if it meant sacrificing her day off. He was worth it. He was always worth it to her. 


	12. He’s Mine!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A woman visiting the station after a call tries to flirt with Judd. Judd is oblivious to her advances but Grace isn’t. Grace decides to make sure the woman knows who Judd belongs to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to “Are_you_a_writer15” for the suggestion that inspired this story! I really loved your idea and I hope this was similar to what you had in mind! 🥰
> 
> (I actually read your comment when I was in the mood to write so this was born straight away. I’ve only briefly edited it since)

It was a quiet day at the station so Judd had invited Grace to come hang out with the team. Grace was walking into the station carrying a pie when she spotted TK: “hi TK. How are you?”. They continued conversing for a few minutes before they saw Judd emerge from behind a truck engaged in a conversation with a woman Grace didn’t recognise. They were too far away to hear what was being said but Grace could spot the clear signals the woman was giving off, like blinding lights. The woman was blatantly flirting with her husband! Her Man! Grace watched on in anger as the woman twirled her hair around her finger and leaned in ( _unnecessarily_ ) close to Judd throwing her head back laughing. Grace was seething. How dare this woman. She knew there was no chance the woman hadn’t spotted the bold black wedding band Judd wore on shift. Grace was determined to put an end to this and fast.

Judd quickly spotted Grace ( _his eyes always were like magnets to Grace. He couldn’t be around her long before noticing her presence_ ) and beckoned her over with a wide grin. Grace steeled her features and strolled confidently over to her husband, fully intending to lay her claim on him. She was going to make it CRYSTAL CLEAR to this woman that Judd was off limits. Judd greeted Grace with a side hug and left his arm slung over her shoulders. This softened Grace slightly, Judd’s touch always had that effect.

By now most of the 126 were lingering nearby ( _they had rushed over curious when TK had summoned them all with a text that drama was about to go down by the trucks_ ) but Grace barely noticed them. Because that psycho of a woman had just made another move on her husband. The woman had not taken the hint at all and had grabbed onto Judd’s bicep when he spoke. This was Grace’s breaking point. She turned her back on the woman and shoved Judd back against the truck kissing him forcefully as she did. He reciprocated ( _although after some hesitation- he hadn’t seen the kiss coming_ ) and slid his hands down towards Grace’s ass. Normally Grace would have scolded Judd for doing so in public ( _not that he usually dared to. He was too shy himself_ ) but in this moment she was thankful. There was no chance in hell that the woman hadn’t gotten the message by now.

They broke apart to the sound of Paul wolf whistling and Grace got the divine pleasure of watching on gleefully as the woman stormed her way out of the station. Message received. Once Judd had recovered from the intense display of affection he spoke slowly ( _he was still struggling to catch his breath- that had been some kiss_ ):

“not that I didn’t enjoy that but what’s going on? Your not usually that forward, especially not in public?”

Before Grace could respond they heard TK scoff.  
TK: “do you really not understand what just happened?!? Grace was just staking her claim! Rightfully so!”

Marjan: “seriously Ryder? You didn’t notice that woman was throwing herself at you?!?” ( _When Judd just looked at her blankly she continued_ ) “boy you are so whipped! Grace he’s oblivious!”  
  
Judd turned to Grace embarrassed. “I’m so sorry Gracie. I would have rejected her if I had noticed. I just didn’t know she was flirting with me. I promise!. I didn’t think anyone would, I mean I’m quite clearly married” ( _he held up his hand with his ring as if trying to prove the point_ ). Grace wanted to be mad at him but she couldn’t. It was actually sweet that he was so (what was the word Marjan had used, whipped?) that he hadn’t noticed. It reassured Grace that her man really did only have eyes for her.

And later when Judd had endured thorough teasing from his teammates and Grace had been equally as thoroughly congratulated for her performance, Grace got all the extra reassurance she could ever need. Judd leaned in, making direct eye contact with her as he said “Hey, look at me. I’m yours and no one can change that.” Grace just beamed at him in response, leaning in for another kiss ( _a way more PG-13 one this time_ ) and responded two simple words. “I know”.


	13. Baby Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Judd is only just now ready to have children. What took him so long?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As a warning this one gets quite angsty at points. I went darker than intended with this prompt (I can’t decide how I feel about this chapter. I’m not used to writing stories this heavy)
> 
> Hope you enjoy! 🥰 thanks to Jades for the idea that inspired this one!
> 
> (This is obviously not entirely canon. I inferred a lot of Judd’s life from hints in the show and filled in the rest)

*6 years in the past.*

  
Grace and Judd had just returned home from watching Tommy’s two rambunctious toddlers. They were both in a great mood, having spent the day taking the adorable babies to the park and for ice cream. They had fulfilled their Auntie and Uncle duties perfectly by returning the girls on a complete sugar high. They settled on their couch to relax and watch a show when Grace decided to broach a subject that had been on her mind all day ( _ for a few weeks now, if she was being totally honest _ ). The previously perfect day was about to take a dark turn.

G: “it gets you thinking doesn’t it? Seeing those two beautiful babies?”

Judd’s body tensed involuntary sensing where this conversation was going: “Gracie...” 

Grace ignored him continuing on: “we’ve never really had *that* conversation Judd. Don’t you think maybe it’s time we discuss it?”

Judd was frightened of this moment. He had known it would come eventually but he had wanted to delay it for as long as possible. He knew Grace wanted children, she had never hidden that desire from him. And he did want children too, he knew that in his soul. He’d known that from the moment he realised his feelings for Grace weren’t one sided. He just wasn’t ready. He didn’t have a reason -not one he felt he could explain at least- but he needed more time. 

At Judd’s silence, Grace continued prodding “we’ve got all night Judd. I think we should have that talk now”. Judd relented knowing that once Grace put her mind to something it was futile arguing. If she wanted to have the conversation tonight, then that was what they were going to do. “Okay, we can have that conversation”. Grace grinned at him, glad he was finally open to the discussion. That was all she wanted after all, she wasn’t pressuring him to have children right away -she wasn’t sure herself if they were at that stage yet- but she wanted them to discuss their future properly. She wanted the confirmation that they both wanted the same thing down the line. 

“So...” Judd started nervously. 

G: “So, do you think we are near to being ready to be parents?” 

J: “No, I don’t” ( _ Judd had decided that if they were going to have this conversation then he was going to be honest. He didn’t want to beat around the bush) _

G: ( _ Grace appreciated his honesty. It would make the conversation more effective _ ) “okay. That’s okay if you feel that way. I don’t think we are ready yet either. But maybe we could talk about why we aren’t ready? What we want to achieve first?”

J: “yeah, we can do that”

The conversation continued from there with Grace explaining that she didn’t feel ready yet because she felt they were still young in their marriage. Yes they’d been married for a while now but they were still learning each other fully. They hadn’t fully opened up about everything in their past life’s yet, hadn’t fully opened up their wounds and bled for the other. She wanted them to be at that stage first. Judd agreed with this sentiment. He was holding back more than Grace ( _ he’d been raised to be a repressed cowboy after all _ ) and didn’t want Grace to end up in over her head. He was trying to protect her from him. From the parts of himself he wasn’t proud of. Grace waited patiently while Judd gathered his thoughts. 

“It’s not about us for me. It’s about me. I don’t feel ready to have children because I don’t know how to be a good dad. I never really had that. You know some of my childhood, and I know you are smart enough to infer that it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. But there’s a lot more to unpack there than you realise. There are aspects of my childhood that I’ve never dealt with. And I need to deal with them first before I can be a dad. I need to make peace with my own dad first” ( _ they’d hit a bit of a rough patch. At this point Judd hadn’t spoken to his dad in years. He had never filled Grace in on why, just brushing her questions off with the overused “it’s complicated” _ ).

Grace absorbed his concerns for a second before deciding to try her luck at pushing him further. Normally she let him close off about his family but tonight she was feeling brave. He’d already said more than normal so maybe she could get the rest out of him. “Would that help? If you told me about your childhood and your relationship with your dad?...if you think it would I’m here to listen Judd. No judgments, no trying to fix everything. Just listening ears...If you are ready to share, I’m ready to listen”

Judd was reluctant to share. He’d never opened up so much with anyone before, but Grace had that ability. It’s what had attracted him to her in the first place ( _ after her beauty, of course. He hadn’t known her personality when he spotted that _ ). She was easy to talk to. And she didn’t judge, didn’t tell him what he felt was wrong. She just listened. This had been the case so far, so why would this time be any different. Maybe it was time for him to stop holding everything in. Maybe he could split the weight of the world with Grace.

“I can do that. But it’ll take time. You don’t need a drink or anything? We will be here for a while”. 

When Grace nodded in the affirmative that she didn’t need anything Judd began to explain his childhood. 

Judd spilled his guts to Grace that night. Sharing all about how loosing his mother at a young age had damaged him and how he had really felt as the youngest of 4 boys. He spoke about how his dad hadn’t always been a good man and how Judd had been an easy target as the smallest ( _ his growth spurt hadn’t hit until his late teens _ ) and most sensitive of the boys. He spoke about how he had never really felt seen as a child, or a teenager for that matter. People had been writing him off as a redneck cowboy his whole life, but he was so much more than that. He had an amazing heart and a strong desire to help people. His mama and Grace were the only two people in the world who had ever seen that quality in him. And loosing that comfort and backing when his mother died had almost broke him. He’d closed off and acted the stereotypical redneck boy for years, hiding his true self until he met Grace. She had helped bring that caring boy back out of him and made him see that it was okay for him to display that part of himself to the world. That it wasn’t a detriment to his character but actually one of his best qualities. 

Judd bled for Grace that night, and she was right there by side bandaging him up. She held him in her arms and soothed his cries as he questioned the universe: “Why did she have to die?!? Why couldn’t she have stayed? I needed her Gracie and she left! And that’s not fair! I shouldn’t feel that way. I know, she didn’t choose to leave but she still left! Just like everyone else!”. Grace didn’t have the words to take away his pain. She wanted to but she knew she wasn’t powerful enough for that. Instead she settled for “I haven’t left and I’m never going to. Your stuck with me, okay?”. Judd just continued on, now too deep to stop the bleeding. He had to get it all off his chest. 

“Without her I was alone. My dad wasn’t interested in me and my brothers were off doing their own things. Nobody defended me. I had to learn how to fight for myself...I’m proud of who I am. But it took me a long time to get there Gracie. Too long. I never really felt enough until I found firefighting, until I found you”. 

Grace was in floods of tears along with Judd by now. Both openly sobbing and clinging tightly to the other. She tried to choke out through her tears “I’m proud of you too. You are enough Judson Ryder. You are more than enough”. 

Once they had recovered from their emotional conversation, they agreed that they would wait. Both felt a new sense of strength in their marriage and were glad to have come to the decision together. They weren’t yet ready and that was okay. A strong weight had been lifted from Judd’s shoulders. He had told Grace everything and she hadn’t ran away. She had stayed by his side.

*Time has passed. The accident has just recently happened*

Life altering moments had a way of making one reflect. Judd was feeling this now as he sat up in his bed. He had only recently been released from the hospital and Grace was enjoying a night out with the girls. Judd had pushed her to go out and have fun- she had been by his side since that tragic day and he knew she needed a break. She needed time to heal herself. 

This left Judd alone with his thoughts. He didn’t know why but that conversation he and Grace had shared many years ago, kept floating to the forefront of his mind. They hadn’t properly spoken about babies again since that day but Judd had been beginning to feel ready.  _ He had even fixed his relationship with his own father _ _._ He had intended to bring it up with Grace again just before the universe had thrown him a curveball. He surmised maybe this was for the best. Maybe the universe was trying to tell him that it wasn’t their time yet. That he had to wait a little longer, he had to work through his new trauma first. 

*time has passed again. It is now just before the car crash scene from 2x08*

And he did. Judd had worked through his trauma, all of it, with the help of Grace and therapy. He felt almost like a new man. And he was ready. He knew it in his bones now. It was time for him and Grace to have that baby. They could handle whatever obstacles life threw their way. They had so far and they would continue to do so. Judd knew he had made the right decision when Grace beamed at him across the car. It was time. 

Or was it? If only life would stop throwing those obstacles...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phrases “I had to learn how to fight for myself” and “I’m proud of who I am” are taken from Kesha’s song ‘Praying’


	14. Traffic Jam

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Judd faces a predicament while stuck in a traffic jam. Grace is displeased.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A double post! 😮  
> After the dark themes in the last one I felt the need to write something lighthearted and silly.  
> This is that story!

Grace and Judd were on a road trip. They had decided to take a few days away and drive out to visit some of Grace’s family. Unfortunately for them, they had found themselves stuck in one of the worst traffic jams they had seen in a while. Both were incredibly frustrated- a traffic jam was not the relaxing break they had planned. How were they meant to recharge when experiencing something so draining was lost on them.

Grace had found a pack of cards in the glovebox. She was trying to save their trip by making the waiting as fun as possible. Just as their 3rd ( _maybe 4th they’d lost track_ ) game of rummy came to an end Grace noticed that something was wrong with Judd. He hadn’t mentioned anything to her but his body language was tense and he was squirming ever so slightly in his seat. 

G: “out with it cowboy. What’s troubling you?”

J: “what do you mean?”

G: “you are all tense. So what’s wrong? I mean I’m aware I just thrashed you in multiple card games but I know your not upset about that” 

J: “It’s nothing really. Don’t worry about it”

Grace just fixes him with her best “m-hm” face and tells him to “spit it out”. 

J: “it’s just...( _Judd lowers his voice and looks down at the floor_ ) I have to pee”

G: “that’s all? Well that’s alright. We can stop somewhere once we get off this road. I think there’s a gas station not too far up”

J: “no Gracie. I don’t think you understand. I REALLY have to pee. Like right now”

G: “not in this truck you don’t. Na-ah. No sir”

J: “please Gracie. You gotta help me, I’m desperate”

Grace looked around for a solution. She was not one to encourage someone to just deal with the situation wherever but it did look like they were going to be stuck for some time more. They were at a complete standstill after all. Although Grace wanted to avoid any mess in the truck, she didn’t want him to have to hold it too long as that wasn’t good for him either. She found an old water bottle under some documents in the glovebox. “Oh lord. I cannot believe I’m allowing this. Here! You better not spill a single drop you hear me Judson Ryder?”. Judd nodded eagerly, snatching the bottle from her hands. “I won’t. I promise you Gracie. Thank you”

Once the deed was done and the bottle had been shoved into the door pocket where Grace couldn’t see it ( _she didn’t need the reminder of what had just happened_ ) Judd allowed himself to relax back into his seat. Grace just rolled her eyes, oh how lucky that man was that she loved him so much. 

Hours later, when the traffic jam had improved and they arrived at their destination; Judd disposed of the bottle. Grace simply rolled her eyes at him. The rest of the trip was a success, allowing them to reconnect as planned. In the end, all was good. The long traffic jam became nothing more than an amusing memory they shared.


	15. Car Crash(2x08)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Follow up to 2x08. A possible scene of the car crash

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to address the car crash scene in 2x08. This is one possibility of what could follow.

Grace opened her bleary eyes and took in her surroundings. She didn’t understand what was going on. The last thing she remembered was being in Judd’s truck chatting about babies and suddenly she was...where was she? Why had she been asleep? Where was Judd? Why did her whole body feel like it was on fire? Especially her wrist.

The reality of the situation finally clicked. Her memories all came flooding back. She was still in the truck. The truck was in the water and her wrist was definitely broken. Judd was unconscious next to her. Judd! Oh God, he didn’t look good!

Judd’s head was gushing blood from where it had collided with the wheel and his nose was visibly broken. Grace had to help him, and quick. Grace managed to ease her seatbelt off ( _she was going to have some intense bruising from it on her chest but she didn’t care_ ) and scrambled around looking for a phone. Either hers or Judd’s had to be around here somewhere. Thankfully the windows of the truck had survived, so the water remained on the outside. That reassured Grace, they weren’t drowning. At least not yet.  
She found her phone but the screen was cracked too bad for usage and there was no signal. She couldn’t call for help. She just had to pray that someone had seen their car go over the side. She had to pray that help was coming. She couldn’t give up, not now. She’d never been a quitter before and she wasn’t about to become one. Especially not when Judd needed her.  
Grace twirled her body around painfully so that she could reach for Judd’s pulse. There was one! It was faint but it was there. Grace sent a silent prayer to the heavens. She could work with a pulse, that meant he wasn’t dead.  
Judd groaned awake at the feeling of Grace pressing on the wound on his head. Grace was oddly grateful for his pained groaning- she hated that he was suffering but she loved the reassurance that he was still with her. Judd looked around through unfocused eyes before he spotted her:

“Grace! Gracie what’s going on? Where are we? Why can’t I remember where I am? Gracie my head hurts!”  
His voice expressed clear panic and it broke Grace’s heart. “Sshh darling. It’s okay, it’s okay. I’ve got you baby. We were in a car crash. You hit your head, that’s probably why you don’t remember ( _Judd’s lack of awareness and memory concerned Grace but she pushed it aside. She had to be strong right now, she could break later when they were safe_ ) but it’s all going to be okay. I promise”. Devastation registered on his face when Judd noticed what seat he was in. He had been driving! “I did this Gracie? I hurt you?!?”. Judd looked like he was going to vomit or cry or both and neither was good for his injuries. Grace scrambled to console him. “It’s not your fault Judd. Lights came at us, someone else was driving on the wrong side. You swerved to avoid them. You saved us. This isn’t on you”. Judd still looked unconvinced but he was at least staying still now. “Honey can you move? I need you to try and wiggle your toes for me”. Grace let out a huge sigh of relief when she saw Judd’s boot move ever so slightly. Thank god!  
The relief, however, was short lived as Grace soon spotted Judd’s eyes starting to close “no! Don’t your dare close those beautiful brown eyes of yours. No sir! Eyes on me Judson! ( _He looked over carefully, his eyes still glazed over_ ) that’s it! Good job. Just keep your eyes on me cowboy!”. Judd started fussing and before Grace could ask him what the problem was he tried to reach his hand out for her face. J: “No, please Don’t cry! I hate it when you cry”.  
Grace grabbed onto his hand and squeezed it mumbling to him “ssshh it’s okay. I’m okay. Don’t you worry about my tears” Judd turned to her looking inconsolable as he asked her “what if this is it Gracie? It’s dark and stormy! What if nobody finds us?...You should try and get out, I’m trapped but you can move!” Grace clapped a hand over his mouth to stop that train of thought. “Absolutely not! We are not even discussing that. Whatever happens it’s you and me together! As always. You don’t get to leave me Sir, not after everything we have been through! I need you to keep fighting okay? And to do that I need you to keep your eyes on me!” Once she was certain that Judd was keeping his eyes open Grace decided it would be best to keep him talking “do you know why I know help is coming?” Judd shook his head negatively.  
G: “I know your mama and my grandmother are looking down on us right now. Do you really believe that they are going to let anything happen to us?”  
Judd smirked at her cockily in response ( _only Judson Ryder could look cocky when trapped in his car with a gash on his head_ )

J: “well your grandma did love me”

G: “she did indeed. She was the one that pushed me to marry you if I recall correctly. She kept telling me that if I wanted the “Studly Cowboy” to be in my life then it shouldn’t matter if my parents approved. She was your biggest cheerleader”

By this point Grace could hear the rescue team arriving in the distance. They made quick work of pulling them both to safety and loading Judd into an ambulance. Grace hesitated slightly before she climbed in beside Judd, still clutching his hand tightly in her own. Grace looked up towards the sky and closed her eyes in prayer. She quietly spoke aloud:

“We can take it from here Mama Ryder. I’ve got your boy”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn’t bring myself to kill off either of them.  
> This will have a follow up of them in the hospital


	16. Hospital (post 2x08)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Judd wakes up in the hospital after the crash. Grace is by his side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might revisit the car crash in future stories but for now this is all I have planned
> 
> This one is just a short follow-up to the last

Judd awoke to Grace’s warm voice:“Welcome back sir. You gave me quite the scare”. He could feel her soft hands - one running through his hair and the other clasped in his much bigger hand. As his body regained consciousness he became aware of some new ( _and unwelcome_ ) accessories. He could feel a nasal cannula, an IV in his hand and his least favourite, a catheter. Grace was sitting by his bed with her wrist in a cast and some scrapes and bruises visible on her body. Otherwise she seemed okay, which had Judd feeling relieved beyond belief. He was more than happy to take the brunt of the accident to protect his Grace.  
The accident, of course. Judd felt his memories cascade over him. This brought forth an immense guilt.  
J: “Gracie I’m so sorry. They came out of nowhere, I didn’t have time to react!”

G: “ssshh, now. None of that. We’ve already covered this. None of this was your fault. End of story”

J: “the truck was destroyed. It was expensive. It’s ...”

G: ( _Grace cut him off firmly_ ) “the truck can be replaced. However, You cannot”

J: “your okay though? No lasting damage?”  
G: “We are BOTH okay, that’s all that matters”

G: “this ( _she gestured to her cuts_ ) will fade. It’s all superficial. As for you, your recovery will take slightly longer but you’ll still be just fine. The doctor has already confirmed, no lasting damage”

J: “I just want to go home”

G: “I know, me too. But be patient. Just a few more days and I’ll get to take you home”

Grace leaned over the bed, careful not to juggle any of the wires attached to Judd as she kissed him. She poured everything she had into that kiss, making sure to show him just how important he was to her. How grateful she was that he was alive. She had been so close to loosing him and it had frightened her immensely. She hadn’t felt that level of fear since the accident that destroyed the old 126. That was the past, she reminded herself. This was the present and her husband was alive. Here he was, smiling at her from a hospital bed and worrying about her. Typical Judd. Grace knew all would be okay.  
_And maybe once the bruises had faded they could get started on that ‘new project’ they had discussed before the crash._


	17. Team Camping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The 126 (and significant others) go camping

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A very random story I wrote when I was bored.  
> Features a team bonding trip

Owen had arranged for the 126 to have a team bonding camping trip. Significant others were welcome so Carlos,Charles and Grace had tagged along. They’d spent the day hiking, leading to plenty of chat and games like ‘would you rather’. ( _They had all learned a lot about each other_ ). It was safe to say it had been a successful trip. Now they were all settling in their tents after consuming a meal around the campfire. As expected Grace and Judd were sharing. They had Tommy and Charles on one side and Carlos and TK on the other.

Grace was freezing. She was determined to cuddle up to Judd in their joint sleeping bag to steal his body heat. She had already made him give her one of the hoodies he had brought so she could add an additional layer for the night. Judd was being awkward and had rolled away with his share of the blanket.   
“If you don’t bring that blanket back over here, I will put my cold feet on you. Do not test me Judson Ryder”

Judd rolled further away in response leading to Grace following through and slipping her freezing feet in between his legs. He yelped inadvertently and whisper exclaimed “I cannot believe you just did that!”. “I warned you sugar. Now come on over here and let me use you as a personal furnace”. Judd scoffed but wrapped his arms around Grace anyway. She finally settled, content with the temperature and feeling of safety his embrace brought.  
Grace had managed a few hours sleep wrapped in Judd’s warm embrace when she awoke to unmistakable sounds from a nearby tent. Grace could feel in Judd’s body language that he had also awoken. They began a whispered conversation:

  
G: “is that sound what I think it is?”

  
J: “oh hell no. They’re doing THAT with us in the next tent over?!?”

  
G: “that’s nasty. These noises are not something I needed to know about”

  
Before Judd could respond they heard Tommy shout from her tent: “Carlos! TK! Don’t think we don’t all know what you are doing. We can hear EVERYTHING!”. The campsite went silent and all movement inside Carlos and TK’s tent ceased.

Grace and Judd both chuckled to themselves. They had not expected Tommy to call them out so blatantly. Grace mumbled “well breakfast is going to be awkward as hell now” before snuggling back into Judd’s arms. She fully intended to go back to her rest.  
Grace was right. The next mornings breakfast was indeed awkward. Tommy was all but sniggering at the boys and Owen looked expectedly awkward. There was little to no eye contact from TK and Carlos with anyone else. The elephant in the room loomed over them all.


	18. First Day (Future)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s a special someone’s first day of school

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Future/AU where the Ryders have a young daughter. 
> 
> I couldn’t resist giving them a daughter. Judd would be so sweet with a baby version of Grace.

The day Judd had been dreading had arrived. It was time for his sweet 4 year old baby girl’s first day of school. Judd was a nervous wreck double checking she had everything she needed, while Grace watched on amused.

“Daddy’s silly isn’t he Av?” Grace asked as she helped the girl into her shoes. _The girl in question was an exact ‘copy and paste’ of Grace with Judd’s eyes snuck in. Her personality was the perfect blend of the two_.“Uh-huh. Daddy very silly!” Young Avery Ryder giggled alongside her mother as her father stressed.

Eventually deciding he’d panicked enough and that they were going to be late, Grace shuffled them both out of the door and to the car. Both Grace and Judd were dressed for work, having each moved around their respective shifts to be here for their baby’s big moment. Once they got to the school and walked Avery towards her class, Avery gave each of them a big hug and kiss before running off to play with some children she recognised. Grace was lost in thought just watching Avery play with the other children when a woman spoke next to her.

“They grow up fast don’t they?”  
Grace smiled responding to the woman: “they do indeed. I’m Grace Ryder, Avery’s mama, and this is my husband Judd”. She pointed to where Judd was staring off after his baby trying to blink away the tears forming in his eyes. After the other mother had introduced herself Grace said to her “honestly. It’s him that’s taking it harder. Av has been talking non-stop about this for weeks,How excited she is for big school. Hardly looked back as she ran off but this one is struggling with a bit of separation anxiety this morning” while patting Judd’s back. The other woman smiled and laughed at the comment.

At this moment Judd turned and looked over at them, wondering what was so funny. Instead of answering him Grace said goodbye to the woman and came to stand by Judd to reminded him “come on cowboy. We have to get to work. She’ll be perfectly fine, our girl is strong like her Daddy. She’s got this” She grabbed on to Judd’s hand and led him away from the school and to the car. She drove Judd to the station where she parted with him, with a kiss and a “be safe. I love you” before heading for the call centre smiling to herself.

Grace sure did love this little Ryder family of hers.


	19. Defend & Protect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some idiots tease Marjan and Judd is witness to the interaction. A fight breaks out. What will Grace think?

Judd had been at a local bar with the 126. They’d had a spectacular save and decided to go out to celebrate. The night had taken a sour turn when some idiots had teased Marjan about her hijab. Initially the team had gone for the approach of ignoring the offenders in the hope they’d get bored and leave Marjan alone but that hadn’t worked. After one of the group tried to reach out and remove Marjan’s hijab Judd saw red and punched the man in the face. The ‘leader’ of the idiots then swung at Judd and a full on brawl was born. Eventually the brawl was broken up and the 126 were gathered in the parking lot. ( _ No charges had been filed as the entire bar had sided with the 126 and confirmed the other group had started it _ ).   
Judd, who had taken ( _ and given _ ) most of the hits was visibly bumped and bruised. His right eye was already swelling up and his lip was split and dripping blood. He was terrified to go home to Grace. He didn’t want to have to explain why a quick text of “won’t be home when you get off shift. Going to the bar with the team to celebrate a win” had turned into him looking like he’d been mauled. He could already picture her stern glare and hand on hip stance as she lectured him on “using his words”. He could only stall for so long though as it was inevitable that he went home.

Judd took a deep breath as he opened the front door. He was silently torn between guessing how long he’d be on the couch for and praying that Grace had decided to turn in early. It was only 9:30 so the latter was unlikely. 

Grace was cuddled up under a blanket reading a book in their living room when Judd arrived home. She looked up to greet him surprised he was home so early when his appearance registered. Grace shot up, and ran to the kitchen to get their first aid kit. She had Judd sit down and began cleaning up his wounds. Judd stayed silent until she was done, not offering an explanation. This made Grace nervous- Judd only stayed silent around her when he knew he had done something she would disapprove of. Eventually Grace leaned back satisfied with her work. Judd would still have obvious bruising come the morning but at least he’d look as if he hadn’t been attacked mere minutes before. 

Eventually Judd decided to bite the bullet ( _he could tell Grace was itching for information and knew she’d find out eventually. It was better coming from him_ ). “I got into a bar fight”. Grace had guessed as much but was still disappointed. She stood back from Judd and asked blankly “why?”. Judd started to ramble about how some redneck morons had been teasing Marjan and how he wasn’t going to let that happen. Grace was proud of him for defending his surrogate sister but she was also peeved at his methods. She thought he was more responsible than getting into a bar fight. She told him he was on the couch for the night and left him standing alone in the room.   
The next morning Grace awoke to a text from Marjan saying “don’t be too hard on Judd for last night. I get that him fighting was stupid (and unnecessary! I tried to tell him) but it was also really sweet. It was nice to know he had my back”. Seeing how touched Marjan clearly was Grace felt her heart swell with pride for her husband. Yes he knew better than to use his fists to get his point across but the fight hadn’t been his idea. He had tried to talk it out but had been baited into a brawl. She couldn’t fault him for defending his friend.

Grace strolled into the main room to find Judd sprawled out on the couch. Half his body was handing off the edge ( _Grace didn’t know how he hadn’t fallen off entirely. Their couch was certainly not made for someone his size to sleep on_ ) and he was still in last nights clothes. She shook him awake. Before Judd could ask what she was doing Grace leaned in and kissed him fully. When Judd recovered and asked “what was that for?”. Grace responded sweetly “for being such a good and loyal friend”. Grace then held out her hand to help him off the couch and Judd smiled knowing all was forgiven. Grace might not have agreed with his methods but she would never fault him for doing what he does best and protecting others. 


	20. Judd’s Unlucky day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Judd has an unlucky day. This prompts him and Grace to reflect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was originally two separate stories but I decided to combine them

Judd had experienced an unlucky day. His day had started with Grace dropping him off at the station on her way to the call centre as his truck had refused to start. He had already been running late before his truck betrayed him ( _along with the alarm clock that he insisted was at fault)_. This led to him running through the station after his shift had started with his hair askew, his uniform shirt messily buttoned and his post-shift change bag missing. He rushed out apologies to Owen and grumbled at Marjan when she asked why he was such a mess- he’d also missed his morning coffee, which he was cranky about. In some stroke of good fortune the bells had given him enough time to have a coffee and fix his shirt before they were sent to work. This was the only piece of good luck he was getting it seemed. The first call of the day had resulted in him being marred by a cut on his face; the second had interrupted his lunch and the third had made him wear someone else’s lunch. They had been responding to a call about a woman who’s head was stuck in a warm mascot head, who after being freed had leaned forward and covered Judd in the contents of her stomach. TK had immediately burst out laughing setting off Marjan and Mateo, while Judd grumbled and Owen and Paul tried to hide their smirks. Judd had complained the whole ride back about how the universe was out to get him today.

Arriving back at the station Judd had gone straight to the showers. He’d been so caught up in getting the vomit off himself he’d forgotten to grab his change-bag. He pulled out his phone and texted TK to get it from the locker room, only to groan when TK responded that it wasn’t there. He suddenly realised he’d forgotten to take it back out of his truck after it broke. Damn, what was he supposed to do now. What he didn’t know was that it appeared the universe had decided to throw him a bone. Grace had just arrived at the station where she’d been greeted by her husbands laughing team. Wondering what was so funny Grace had inquired and been informed of her husbands apparent stroke of bad luck. She found out ( _on top of what she already knew from the morning_ ) he’d been scratched by a cat and vomited on all before lunch. She was suddenly grateful she had decided to stop by on her break to bring him some sandwiches and her company. Grace waited till their laughter had calmed down before asking where Judd currently was. TK burst out laughing even harder before showing her his phone. She saw he had a string of text messages from her husband asking him to bring “some goddamn clothes!”.

Grace suddenly realised she had a solution to his problem. She turned and went back to her car where she rummaged around in the trunk until she found a backpack, pulling out a pair of Judd’s jeans and one of his T-shirts. She went back into the station with her findings, passing his team and heading for the showers. Once inside she heard her husband exclaim “oh thank god TK. Please tell me you found me some clothes kid”. He turned around with a towel hanging around his hips, only to jump when he saw it was her.  
J: “Gracie! What are you doing here?”. Grace couldn’t help but laugh as she responded, holding up the pile of clothes:

“I’m here to rescue you cowboy. Heard you needed some clothes?”

Judd leaned forward and kissed her proclaiming “your a lifesaver Gracie. Thank you!” before quickly dressing. Once he was dressed Grace took a towel and towel dried his hair smiling at him. She then gathered up his dirty clothes in a plastic bag and led him back to where she’d left the others. Here she presented a grateful Judd with his lunch and sat conversing with him until it was time to return to the call centre. When TK asked why she had a full change of clothes in the trunk of her car, both Judd and Grace burst out laughing at the memory. Marjan, realising there was a story to be told leaned in eagerly. Suddenly everyone was gathered to listen as Grace started “a couple of years back...”

*flashback*

Grace and Judd had synced up their schedules and taken a trip out of Austin for a few days. They were wandering around a park in the outskirts of Dallas when suddenly the heavens opened and rain poured down soaking them both. Judd grabbed on to Grace’s hand and they sprinted back to their car, cursing how far away they had parked. By the time they reached the car both were soaked through to the bone. They climbed into Judd’s truck and looked at each other, both bending over in laughter at the sight of the other. Grace’s curls were flattened by the heavy rain-pour and Judd’s shirt was clinging tightly to his skin. Once their laughter subsided, Grace suggested that staying in the soaking wet clothes wouldn’t be in their best interests. Judd was initially reluctant, they were in public after all, but Grace reassured him that nobody would see into the truck and the streets were deserted now after everyone had ran inside to escape the rain. Both were now sat in Judd’s truck, in only their underwear, giggling at the ridiculous nature of the situation. Eventually they reached the house of a relative of Grace’s that they were staying with and Judd parked nearby. He then turned to Grace with a look that said “well what do we do now?”. Grace looked around at the street for a minute before turning to Judd and looking at him mischievously. Before Judd could ask what she was up to, Grace daringly said “now we run!” and took off out of the car and sprinting up towards her cousin’s house. Stunned, Judd followed behind slightly delayed calling after her “Seriously?? Grace!” Grace made it to the house without incident and decided to mess with Judd. She turned intending to pretend to shut the door on him when she realised, she didn’t have to mess with him.  
Someone else had gotten there first. Grace watched on amused from the window ( _wrapped in a blanket she had stolen from the back of the couch)_ as Judd turned bright red and fumbled over his words as he tried to explain to her cousin why he was in her garden in nothing but his boxers. Eventually her cousin beckoned Judd inside where Grace rejoined them and offered Judd another blanket so he could make himself decent. The two then stood there awkwardly, wrapped in the blankets as they told Grace’s cousin all about their day. Luckily she saw the amusement in the situation ( _even snapping a photo of the two wrapped in the blankets and laughing- a photo that now sat proudly in their home_ ) and laughed it off before telling the two that her new house rule was for guests to remain dressed in communal areas of her house and to not potentially flash the neighbours.

A few days after returning from the trip Judd found Grace packing two backpacks in their bedroom. He inquired “what are you doing? Are those my clothes?” And then nervously “am I going somewhere? Did I do something to make you mad? If so I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to...”. Grace cut him off laughing and assuring him that, no she wasn’t mad and he wasn’t going anywhere. She explained that their eventful day at her cousins had got her thinking that keeping a full change of clothes for each of them in their cars might be a good idea. Judd seemed unconvinced but let her put one in his truck too, something he would thank her for, when on future occasions he ended up appreciating the spare.

*the present*

TK, Marjan, Paul and Mateo, along with Tommy who had come to join when she heard Grace was around, all laughed along with the story. They loved hearing embarrassing stories of Judd from Grace. It gave them opportunities to tease him, something they loved to do. The team’s comments on the story ranged from hilarity at Judd getting caught and being impressed at Grace’s boldness to suggest the half-naked run in the first place.


	21. The House That Built Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a short imagine of Grace’s internal thoughts. A quiet reflection on her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title and quote from Miranda Lambert’s ‘The house that built me’
> 
> As always comments, kudos and suggestions are appreciated 🥰

"Won't take nothing but a memory from the house that built me."- Miranda Lambert

Grace remembers her first apartment with Judd. She doesn’t think she’ll ever forget. The purchase of that tiny apartment ( _where Judd was constantly bumping his head and generally being too big to live in_ ) had been such a significant moment in her life. Not only had it been the first time she had officially lived with Judd ( _he had already been staying over pretty regularly in her dorm at college_ ) but it was her first home not linked to her parents. They had paid for her childhood home ( _obviously_ ) and they had funded her for college. This was different, she had bought the apartment financially removed from them. It was paid for in it’s entirety by odd jobs from Grace and Judd’s wages from the 126. It was theirs and theirs alone.( _that was why it was so small after all, they were on a tight budget_ )

Sometimes even now as she sits in their beautiful house- the one they had worked so hard to call theirs- she reminisces about that apartment. As much as she loves her life now, and wouldn’t give it up for anything, she misses the simpleness of the past. The Grace Williams that first moved into that apartment had so little worries. She was young and hopeful and in love. Everything revolved around her operator training, her friends and her boyfriend. Watching ( _and grieving_ ) alongside Judd when his brothers died, finding out her father wasn’t the man she thought he was, the trials and tribulations of marriage and life; weren’t even on her radar. She had no idea of all the experiences she would go on to have. All she knew was that she had something for herself. She had found her starting point. That apartment with Judd was her chance to build a strong foundation. Somewhere she could create a beautiful life from. And that’s exactly what Grace did. She built a wonderful life on that foundation. A life of ups and downs, of joys and sadness, of tears and laughter. A life of loving Judson Ryder with everything she had.

Grace Williams bought that first apartment but Grace Ryder bought every one that followed.


	22. Knock First

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Ryder-Williams family learns an unexpected lesson in the importance of knocking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn’t get this one out of my head. I can just imagine Judd being incredibly flustered and awkward for a long time following this

It was a quiet kind of morning in the Ryder household. Neither Grace nor Judd were on shift and as a result they were enjoying some quality time together. Little did they know that Grace’s mother had planned a surprise visit.  
  
Denise Williams let herself into the Ryder home using her spare key. Grace had extended an open invitation to Denise after the Benjamin fiasco - Denise was welcome to stop by whenever things with Benjamin got too much. Grace’s home could be her safe place. Denise was surprised to see that the house was still quiet, as If the occupants had not yet risen for the day. Denise knew that Grace was off work for the day but was unaware of her son-in-law’s schedule. Still, it was already 12:30pm and Denise knew Grace wasn’t one to sleep the day away. She wondered if maybe Grace was sleeping in as a replenishment after a particularly tiring shift. Deciding to investigate ( _if Grace was still asleep Denise would go and do some grocery shopping, stopping by again later_ ) she slightly opened the door to the master bedroom and poked her head in. Denise Williams instantly regretted this choice when she made direct eye contact with her son-in-law.

Judd’s attention was partially drawn when he saw the bedroom door crack open. He presumed the wind must have knocked the door from on the latch so didn’t think much of it. ( _He knew Grace hadn’t properly closed the door over the previous evening_ ). Whatever Judd was expecting to see through the slit in the door- it most certainly wasn’t his mother-in-law. Judd reacted quickly, pulling the duvet up over Grace’s ( _and his_ ) exposed form and ceasing all actions. He was traumatised, how would he ever be able to look his mother-in-law in the eyes again.

Grace was facing away from the door when the ‘situation’ occurred so all she had to go on was Judd’s reaction. Grace established someone must have walked in on them from how wide Judd’s eyes had grown and his rapid attempts at reclaiming their modesty. Grace waited until she heard footsteps retreating and their front door lock before she looked back to Judd. He was still in a stunned silence. Grace decided to give him a minute to process what had happened. While he did so, she proceeded to remove herself from the bed. Grace then got herself dressed, throwing some clothes onto the bed so that Judd could do the same. Judd took her suggestion and dressed himself in a robotic state. He was so out of it that he’d even managed to mess up the buttons on his plaid shirt. Shaking her head; Grace came over to fix the buttons on his shirt, shocked when Judd pulled back. He seemed hesitant to let her touch him ( _this was ironic considering what they had been doing a mere 2 minutes ago_ ). Grace had seen enough.  
G: “alright spit it out. What happened? Who walked in?” ( _They’d given out more than one spare key so there was a short list of people it could have been. None were ideal but some were worse than others_ )

J: ( _stuttering and flustered_ ) ehhh...it was...we got walked in on by...ehh”

G: “yes by? By who Judd? Just tell me. If it was one of your team, I know it’ll be awkward next shift but it’s not that big of a deal. They know it happens. We are married after all”

J: “okay...it was your mama”

Grace was stunned into silence. She suddenly understood why Judd had been so shook up. Of all the people to walk in on them - it had been her mother. Oh god, poor Judd getting interrupted by his mother-in-law. No wonder his eyes had bugged out of his head. Recovering Grace continued:

“Okay well it’s not that bad. Let’s not overreact...Yes it’s rather awkward. Nobody wants their mother to see that, but she knows it happens Judd. She’s not oblivious to what happens in a marriage. Let me just text her to come back round and we can talk this out”

Judd stared at Grace like she’d grown a second head. He managed to croak out “you want to do what?! Okay I’m going out, that’s just too awkward. Enjoy”. Grace grabbed onto his arm before he could leave: “your not going anywhere sir. We are going to handle this like adults, all three of us”. Judd relented and stayed in the room while Grace text her mother.

Not in the least bit surprised to have received a text from her daughter ( _Grace wasn’t one to let things linger- she always wanted to deal with issues as they presented themselves_ ) Denise drove back to the Ryder home. She knocked this time ( _lesson learned_ ), smiling at her daughter as she let herself in. Judd was nowhere in sight ( _he had made an agreement with Grace that he would appear when asked but he didn’t want to be there for the start. Grace had relented and allowed him to hide out in their room_ ). Denise accepted her daughters offer of a drink and settled at the table. Grace opened the conversation,

G: “So I understand you stopped by to visit earlier today”

D: “yes I did Gracie. Your father was getting on my nerves at home so I decided to take you up on your open offer of company. I’m sorry that I imposed- opening the bedroom door wasn’t exactly my best idea”

G: ( _laughing awkwardly_ ) “maybe not mama. I think next time call out to us. See if anyone responds before you go looking for us...look mama I’m hoping we can move past this without it becoming an elephant in the room. I mean we have all learned a bit more than we needed to about each other’s sex life’s lately. ( _Denise smiled sadly at her daughter, her relationship with Benjamin was still in a strange place_ ) Judd is my husband and things happen. I’m sorry that you saw what happened but I’m not sorry it happened”

D: “neither should you be. It’s natural baby, I just wish I hadn’t seen anything - there’s some parts a mother-in-law doesn’t need to see of her son-in-law ( _Grace and Denise both burst out laughing at that comment. Her mother now knew if Judd followed the big hands correlation. Yeah, this was all a bit awkward_ ). He loves you baby, and you clearly love him so there’s no harm done. We can just pretend I never saw anything....speaking of my darling son-in-law where is he at? Is he hiding from me now?”  
G: “oh he’s hiding alright. The poor boy is traumatised by what happened. It’s kind of hilarious. I’ll call him in.”

Grace called out across the house: “Judd, Honey you can come out of hiding now!” Judd came into the room positively shying away from everyone. He wasn’t particularly successful- his stature made him stand out in any room. Judd slowly approached the two woman and slid into the chair furthest away from Denise. He didn’t make eye contact with Denise at all as he came over. Denise decided to bridge the gap:

“Hi Judd. Listen I’m sorry about not knocking earlier, that was on me...you don’t need to be embarrassed. I know it happens darling.”

Judd finally looked up, making eye contact with Denise. “Thank you for that. I’m sorry if you saw...more than you ever needed to” Denise just laughed “oh don’t worry about that Judd. You’ve nothing to be embarrassed about, my boy” Grace burst out laughing as Judd blushed a deep crimson. Soon all three were laughing hysterically, they’d had quite the unexpected experience. Lessons had been learned all round- Judd and Grace had learned to close their bedroom door and Denise had learned to knock before entering.


	23. Twirl for me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grace and Judd are in need of some new fancy clothing. A shopping trip is the answer.

Judd and Grace were excited to be attending her cousins wedding in a few weeks. It’d been way too long since they’d had the opportunity to dress up smart and have a nice night together. The upcoming event had prompted Grace to decide they each needed new outfits. This was why Judd found himself spending his day off following Gracie around the mall.

They started their excursion in a dress shop Grace was fond of ( _Judd couldn’t remember the name of the store_ ) and Judd sat comfortably in one of those ‘spectating husband’ chairs these stores always seemed to have. Judd surmised that at least he was appearing better than the husband in the chair next to him- the man hadn’t looked up at a single dress his partner had tried on, too engrossed in his phone. Judd was legitimately observing and giving an opinion on each dress because he knew his Grace wouldn’t tolerate it if he dared act like that man was. In Judd’s eyes, Grace looked breathtaking in everything she wore which was increasing the difficulty of his task. Eventually Grace walked out of the changing room in a stunning red dress that accentuated her features perfectly without diminishing her modesty. Judd couldn’t fathom how someone could look so perfect, like an angel sent from heaven. His jaw literally dropped as he struggled to find the words to express how perfect the dress was as Grace spun in front of him with a:

“well cowboy what do you think of this one?”

Judd nodded enthusiastically assuring her:

“that’s the one, most definitely. You look breathtaking baby”

Grace grinned in response and leaned down to peck his lips before announcing “well that’s one item checked off our to-do list then, babe. Now we just need to find you a handsome suit that compliments this dress”. She then sashayed her way back to the changing room. Grace in the dress was such a stunning sight it had caused Mr I-can’t-stop-staring-at-my-phone to look up, his eyes lingering on Grace’s ass. This earned him a murderous glare from Judd that had the man shying in his seat and reverting his attention back to whatever he was looking at on the damn phone.

Completing their purchase and heading to the next store had the roles reversed. Grace was now perched happily on a chair of her own, her phone nowhere in sight as she focused her full attention on Judd. He made his way into the changing room with the collection of suits Grace had picked for him to try on ( _She was entirely in charge in this department. Fashion had never been Judd’s area and Grace had an eye for dressing him_ ). Emerging in the first suit Judd awaited Grace’s opinion. She studied him from her seat requesting that he give her a twirl like she had done. Judd was initially reluctant ( _they were in a public store! People could see them_ ) but he never could resit when Grace turned the puppy dog eyed look his way. He was putty in her hands. Grace decided that this suit wasn’t the one and sent him back to change suggesting he “try the blue one next!”. This continued through a few more options before Judd emerged in a dark grey suit. Grace squealed in excitement at the sight of him, jumping up with a red tie in her hand. Grace popped his collar and put the tie on him, straightening it and his shirt as she did. She then stepped back to inspect her handiwork. She clapped happily as she announced:

“This is the one! Oh darling you look so handsome. The tie goes great with the suit and the colour matches my dress perfectly”

Grace shooed Judd back to change into his day clothes as she informed the sales assistant of which one they’d be purchasing. By the time Judd re-emerged Grace was finishing up and waiting on him. She looped her arm in his as they left the store.

With them both now fully prepared for the wedding, Grace suggested they go grab some treats to celebrate. Judd agreed ( _he was glad the shopping trip was over, it wasn’t exactly his scene_ ) and suggested some ice cream. Soon Judd was swiping ice cream from Grace’s nose with his thumb as she laughed loudly at a mediocre joke he’d made. Grace might have looked stunning in that dress but it had nothing on his current view. There was an irreplaceable beauty to this version of Grace: laughing and carefree, clad in causal clothes with her hair tied back and Judd in her sight. Anything or anyone else paled in comparison. She truly was breathtaking to him.


	24. It’s Normal (Future)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another Avery Ryder story🥰
> 
> Judd and Avery are out together when Avery gets injured. How will Grace react? And how does Judd feel about the experience?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was most definitely a clumsy kid growing up (still kind of am) so I can relate to Avery in this one. 
> 
> I also can’t get over how cute the idea of Grace and Judd with a child is. Avery Ryder will definitely be making more appearances in these stories!

Judd and 6-year old Avery were having a daddy daughter date day. They’d been to the movie theatre, for burgers and were now at the park. Judd was sitting on a bench watching from afar as Avery ran about with the other children there. Avery was hanging from the monkey bars when Judd felt his stomach drop. He just knew what was about to happen yet he was helpless to stop it. Judd rushed over just in time to see his baby drop the ground crying out in fear. Judd scooped her up as soon as he reached her. She clung to him like a lifeline, yet Judd observed she only did so with one arm. He placed her down on the ground and carefully inspected her little arm. He wasn’t a paramedic/doctor but it definitely looked broken. He picked up his girl assuring her:

“it’s okay baby girl. Daddy’s got you. We’re going to get you feeling all better in no time”

Judd carried her back to his truck and buckled her into her car seat. She cried out for him the whole drive to the hospital. It broke his heart to not hold her as she wanted but he had to focus on the road. Once they arrived he carried her into the waiting room. Judd rocked her on his lap as he gathered the courage to phone Grace. She picked up cheerily on the 2nd ring.  
G: “hi honey, how’s your day with Av? Is she enjoying her extra daddy time?”

J: “hi Gracie. Listen...”

G: ( _interrupting as she could hear something in his voice_ ) what’s the matter Judd? What’s happened? Are you both okay?”

J: ( _rambling the whole story out in one breath_ ) we were at the park and Av was on the bars and sheslipped and now she’shurt. Ithinkherarmmightbebroken”

G: “okay babe I need you to breath okay? I can’t understand you if you don’t slow down. What happened? Nice and slow”

J: ( _he takes a deep breath in before beginning_ ) “we are at the hospital. Avery fell at the park and I think her arm might be broken”

G: ( _Grace was slightly panicked herself - her baby was hurt- but knew this was normal. Children fall and get hurt) “okay well you both sit put okay? I’ll be t_ here soon. These things happen Judd, don’t panic. Just give our baby a kiss from me and I’ll be there in 10 minutes”

As promised Grace arrived 10 minutes later,still clad in her work uniform, and holding out a lollipop she had brought for Avery. Before long the small girl was sitting contentedly, sandwiched between her mama and daddy as the doctor looked over her arm. The doctor agreed that it was definitely broken and went to work at putting a cast on for her. Avery was thrilled with her new accessory- it was purple ( _her favourite_ ) and her friends could sign it! To her the pain was long forgotten, the novelty of her first cast taking over. 

Paperwork completed and young Avery completely settled, the small family headed home. Arriving home, Grace helped Avery to bathe ( _without getting her cast wet_ ) while Judd made and plated up dinner. The trio ate listening to Avery chat animatedly about how much fun she had with daddy. If it weren’t for the visible cast you’d never have known it was the same day the girl had gotten hurt at all. Grace noticed that Judd barely touched his dinner, just moving it around the plate with his fork. She didn’t call him out on it- not in front of Avery- but she stored the information away for later. After dinner the family snuggled on the couch watching Disney movies. ( _Avery’s pick of course_ ). 

Afterwards Grace carried a now fast asleep Avery to her bed tucking her in and kissing her goodnight. Judd was in their room changing himself. Once Avery was settled Grace went into their room to ask Judd about his dinner. He’d been subdued all evening, only interacting when Avery spoke to him. Grace had her suspicions about what might be bothering him but she wanted to double check. Entering the master bedroom, Grace spotted Judd sitting on their bathroom floor looking sweaty. That was unexpected.  
G: “what are you doing on the bathroom floor?”

J: “nothing, don’t worry about it”

G: “no sir. Do we allow that phrase in our home?”

J: “no we don’t. We share what’s bothering us even if we think the other will find it stupid”

G: “exactly. Well not quite- I don’t remember using the word ‘stupid’ but yes, we share. So what happened? Did you get sick?”

J: ( _nodding slightly_ ) “I did”

Grace came over and felt his forehead and neck: “You don’t feel warm. No temperature. Did it just come on suddenly?”

Judd shook his head in response, getting up from the floor and leaving the bathroom. Grace trailed behind him as it clicked in her mind. “Honey, look at me. ( _She waited until Judd turned and made eye contact with her_ ) Was it because of worry? Did you get sick because you are in your head about what happened with Avery today?”. Judd’s lack of response was all the answer Grace needed. She pouted at him, speaking sadly as reached for his face “oh Judd...Judd baby”. Judd still hadn’t responded, but Grace could see the tears welling up in his eyes. “Judd come sit on the bed with me. I think we need to have a talk”. She sat down, patting the spot next to her until he took her up on the offer.

G: “sweetheart, what happened today was not your fault. You know that don’t you? It’s important to me that you know that”

J: “It was though. She got hurt on my watch, that makes me a bad dad. I should have been watching her better”

G: “do you remember when Avery was 3 and she split her lip open on the sidewalk?”

J: “yeah of course i do. Her tiny face was sporting this massive swollen lip. It was quite the sight.”

G: ( _Grace laughed at the memory, that had been some impressive bruising_ ) “yes. Although that wasn’t the point I was trying to make. My point was I was watching her that day. Me and Tommy had taken all three girls to the park and Av fell. Does that make me a bad mother?”

J: ( _Judd shook his head in the negative enthusiastically_ ) “you could never be a bad mama Gracie. Avery is the luckiest kid in the world to have you”

G: ( _Grace smiled at that. She was glad he thought so_ ) “well how is today any different? If I’m still an amazing mama even though Avery split her lip on my watch, then you are still the best daddy even if Avery’s arm was broken on your watch. Capisce?”

J: “Capisce” ( _Judd smiled for the first time all evening_ )

G: “good glad it’s settled...Next time, and there will be next times- that girl is a firecracker. We are in for lots of scares, husband. Next time come to me if you feel overwhelmed okay? No point getting yourself worked up to the point of getting sick when I’m right there to catch you okay?”

J: “okay. I love you”

G: “I love you too. ( _Leans over for a kiss_ ) now go and brush your teeth, your breath reeks and I’ll reheat your dinner yeah?”

Judd nods, getting up and heading for the bathroom. Grace had settled his fears for now. He was slowly beginning to understand that as much as he wanted to, he couldn’t protect Avery from everything. All he could do was be there to catch her when she fell. The same way he’d been catching Grace for years- that was love, that was family.


	25. Slept In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Judd sleeps in and is late for work. Grace is there to make sure he gets a move on.

Grace’s alarm clock blared loudly through the silence of their bedroom. She rolled over to snooze it and was surprised when her arm collided with a mass in the bed. Judd. He opened his eyes blearily at the interruption.

J: “( _groaning_ ) turn it off. I’m too comfy to move”

G: “I thought you had a shift?”

J: “I do, at 7:00”

G: “honey it’s 7:00 now. You need to get up”

J: “nah it can’t be. I set my alarm for 6:30”

Grace reached over Judd and grabbed his phone, unlocking it: “Babe you didn’t. You must have forgot to set it. Come on, time to get up. I’ll make you some breakfast to go while you shower”

Judd remained still until Grace started to push him out of the bed. He eventually relented, getting up and stretching. “Thanks darling, that’d be great!”. Grace got herself ready while Judd showered. She then began to make the breakfast she’d promised. She was packing Judd’s into a bag for him when he emerged dressed and showered.

G: “There’s my handsome husband. I’ve got your breakfast as promised”

J: “thank you Gracie. You’re amazing. Love you!”  
With that Judd turned to leave. Grace called him back with a call of “Where do you think you are going?”. Judd was confused, he thought it was obvious.

J: “to work? I’m already late so I thought I better leave quickly. Did I miss something ?”

G: “where’s my kiss sir?”

Judd suddenly understood. He had almost forgotten the most important part of his morning routine. Grace’s kiss goodbye. He always gave her one, even on days when she was still asleep as he left. He quickly crossed the living room to give Grace her kiss. She kissed him back for a second before pulling back with a “that’s more like it. Now get on your way before you are too late and apologise to Owen for your tardiness. Stay safe Judd, I’ll see you for dinner”. With that Judd smiled at her before turning and leaving for work. Yes he was rather late by now, but Grace had gotten her kiss so all was good in Judd’s mind.


	26. Birthday’s and Tequila

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The 126 throw a birthday party for Marjan. Way too much Tequila is consumed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is ridiculous and was written in it’s entirety in one go. It’s less Grace and Judd focused than normal. I just love the idea of the 126 having chaotic bonding nights. 
> 
> As a preview tomorrow’s story (which I’m currently finishing up) is a long one - centred around Avery! I’m excited about it!

Marjan’s birthday party was in full swing. The 126 had surprised her with a full collection of friends and family inside Carlos’s apartment. Way too many drinks had been consumed by all but Marjan, TK and Grace ( _who was 6 months pregnant_ ). They’d been through the full range of ‘party games’ even slipping in some originals like ‘who can do the best cowboy impression’. In a shocking twist their resident Cowboy Judd had won. ( _the sober members of the group had spent a *lot* of the evening rolling their eyes_ ). The group then found themselves facing the ultimate drunken: you will regret this come morning game ( _no not strip poker which Mateo had already suggested- Marjan and Grace had shut that one down at lightning speed_ ), Never Have I Ever. Complete with shots if you had done the statement ( _because more alcohol was *exactly* what everyone present required_ ). The three sobers had caved deciding that if this was happening then they might as well join in. ( _Their shot glasses were filled with water instead of everyone else’s tequila_ ). This is how it went:

The game started off mild with the generic “Never have I ever skipped school” ( _everyone_ ), smoked weed ( _everyone bar Marjan, even Carlos the cop_ ), done the ‘walk of shame’ ( _Everyone bar Grace and Marjan_ ) and been skinny dipping ( _Judd didn’t take his shot until Grace reminded him that they had done so together. Judd blushed red as he downed his shot, they’d done more than just strip..._ )

The last two opened up a whole new section of the game- relationships. Secrets were revealed as the game progressed through Never have I ever: had a one night stand ( _all but Marjan, Judd, Grace, Tommy and Charles_ ), made out with someone of the opposite sex ( _some shot-takers were obvious here, some surprising_ ), been on a blind date ( _Tommy and Charles went here, they’d met on one_ ), slept with a co-worker ( _this one had the sobers leaning in in interest_ ), sent a nude ( _Grace scrunched up her face in disgust and made a point of telling Judd that she didn’t want to receive one either_ ) and much more. It was safe to say everybody knew each other intimately by the end of the game- although by the looks of things all but three of the group would have forgotten it all come morning.   
Once the game had concluded and everyone had started to head home for the night, Grace led a surprisingly compliant ( _he’d reached the sleepy stage of drunkenness_ ) Judd back to their car.

Once Grace had Judd home she forced him to drink some water and change before letting him climb into their bed. He promptly passed out once his head hit the pillow. She then cleaned up and got herself ready for bed, leaving some pain killers and another glass of water by Judd’s phone ( _which she’d plugged into charge for him because of course he’d forgotten_ ). Before Grace settled herself fully for the night she spoke aloud to the mostly silent room ( _Judd was a snorer when he was drunk_ ): “Never have I ever loved someone with my whole heart and soul”. To confirm the statement Grace pecked Judd’s forehead and cuddled in against his side. He might have been a drunken mess tonight but he was her drunken mess and she wouldn’t change him for the world. She couldn’t wait to share the rest of her life with him and the baby currently growing inside her.


	27. Time To Let Go (future)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grace and Judd have to learn how to let go when Avery has her first date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to “Are_you_a_writer15” for the suggestion that inspired this story! 🥰  
> I got a little carried away and this ended up way longer than intended (and with a little surprise twist) but I really enjoyed the prompt. Avery Ryder stories are so fun to write 💕

15 year old Avery Ryder walked home from school thrilled. She’d had a crush on a friend called Tim for months now and he’d just asked her out! They were going to the movies and then dinner on Friday night. At least that was assuming she could get her parents to extent her curfew. Avery knew she’d be able to get her mama to allow her out past 10 for her date, her daddy was going to be the problem. He was incredibly overprotective of her and sometimes it drove Avery crazy. Her only hope was if she could convince her mother to sway him.

Grace knew the instant Avery walked into the house that her baby girl had had a great day. She was sporting a wide smile and singing along softly to whatever was her playing through her earphones. Grace had her suspicions ( _she knew her girl had a massive crush on her friend Tim_ ) but was happy to wait till Avery was ready to share. Grace greeted the girl:

G: “hi baby, how was your day?”

A: “hey mama. Where’s daddy and Bubba?”

G: “Daddy’s still at the station. His shift doesn’t end for another couple of hours. Henry ( _Avery’s 9 year old little brother who she insisted on calling Bubba_ ) is staying at a friends. Maybe we could have a bit of a girls night?”

A: “absolutely just let me change and I’ll be ready for Netflix and cuddles”

G: “perfect I’ll make some popcorn”

When Avery emerged dressed in loungewear Grace couldn’t help but take a moment to appreciate her girl. She couldn’t believe that the tiny little baby she’d given birth too was the same almost-woman in front of her. Avery had grown into a beautiful young woman. She was every bit the spitting imagine of Grace ( _as was constantly pointed out by family and friends_ ), down to the minuscule features. The only evidence of Judd’s involvement came from her eye colour and superior height. Avery towered over Grace, standing tall at 5ft8. Grace was the resident short member of the household - or at least she would be once her baby boy hit his growth spurt. Grace could already tell he was going to copy his sister and father in the height department.

Grace and Avery settled in on the couch cuddled up ( _Grace was incredibly thankful that neither of her baby’s had outgrown her cuddles yet_ ) and flipped on a rom-com. As expected, Avery soon began to open up about the date.( _Avery had always been very close with Grace. She was a complete daddy’s girl in most areas- Grace found their relationship adorable- but when it came to advice and worries she had always favoured Grace. The reverse was true of Henry_ ).

A: “so I’ve kind of got a date on Friday and I was wondering if I could get curfew extended to 11?”

G: “oh you and Timmy finally decided to go on a date then?” ( _Avery blushed and Grace smiled, she had been spot on about why her daughter was in such a good mood_ )

A: “it’s Tim now mama and yes he asked me out. So can I go?”

G: “I see no problem ( _Avery went to cheer but Grace cut her off_ )...hold on, I will need to talk to daddy first. You know we don’t decide these things without the others input”

A: ( _Avery nodded, she knew how her parents operated_ ) “but you’ll talk to him right? ( _Avery turned her big eyes on Grace_ ) and you’ll make sure that he’s nice when Tim comes to pick me up?”

G: “Ill talk to him. And I can try baby but I’m not a miracle worker. I’ll have him dial it down as much as I can”

They continued on the subject for a little more -Avery filling Grace in on the specifics of the date- before turning their attention to the movie.

Later that night when both children had retreated to bed, Grace decided to broach the subject with Judd. They were in the middle of turning down their bed when Grace climbed in and patted the spot next to her. It was an unspoken sign for Judd to sit beside her.

G: “honey I wanted to talk to you about something. ( _seeing Judd’s expression start to panic Grace was quick to assure him_ ) everything’s just fine, don’t go fixin yourself to panic. It’s nothing bad I promise”

J: “thank the lord. You had me worried for a second there Gracie”

G: “sorry baby. ( _Grace decided to just come out with it- she tended to use the ‘rip the bandaid’ approach with Judd_ ) Avery is going out with a friend on Friday night and it’s important to her that she get to stay out a little later, as a one off. She was thinking 11. I think we should let her”

J: “...okay. I have some questions. Why does she want her curfew extended?- are they going something in particular? And which friend?”

G: “she wants her curfew extended so that she can manage both the movie theatre and dinner. She’s going out with Timmy”

J: “a boy? That’s a date! She’s going on a date! My baby girl is not going on a date. No ma’am. She’s way too young!”

G: “okay hold on a minute. Let’s not decide that now. Yes it’s a date but honey they are 15, they’re not going to be ‘dating’ dating. I mean the most I was doing at 15 was holding a boy’s hand...( _Judd gave Grace a look that conveyed “but I wasn’t”_ ) she’s not you darling. I know you were messing about a bit ( _this was an understatement from what Grace knew of Judd’s teens. He’d had a rebellious few years after his mother died_ ) but Avery isn’t you. She’s a smart and careful girl and I think we should trust her. The fact she told us honestly what her plans were speaks for itself. Plus you know Tim, she’s been friends with him for years. The boy won’t hurt her”

J: “I do trust her! And I do like him, he’s a good kid, but that’s my baby girl! I’m not ready for her to be liking boys and dating. That means she’s growing up and she won’t need me anymore!”

G: “hey now. Hold on, your getting ahead of yourself here. She’s not marrying the boy, they’re not having sex ( _Judd made a face at that- he hadn’t even considered that possibility_ ). It’s just dinner. Maybe a little hand holding. As for her not needing you- that’s preposterous Judd. You are her number one guy and you always will be. That girl loves you almost as much as I do and that’s never going to change. No matter how old she gets, you will always be her daddy”

J: “you’re right, As usual. She should go on the date. She deserves our trust and we should give it to her”  
Grace smiled brightly at him. She knew he’d come around. When it came to Avery’s happiness Judd always caved. He truly was putty in the teenagers hands ( _Judd often teased Grace that the reverse was true of mama’s boy Henry. All he had to do was turn his puppy-dog eyes on Grace and she was gone_ ). Judd leaned his head in, connecting his forehead with Grace as he asked:

“when did they get so old? Seems like just yesterday Avery was a tiny baby that I could fit in my hand. Now look at her, she’s bigger than you”.

Grace smacked him lightly on the chest for the comment about her height “she is growing up quick. They both are. As are we”. Grace reached out and petted Judd’s hair where an increasing number of grey hairs lived. He’d become a bit of a silver fox in the last few years.

Friday night arrived before they knew it. Grace helped Avery get ready while Judd played video games in the living room with Henry. Grace had suggested they do so- she felt her husband needed a distraction. When the doorbell rang Grace rushed to get there first. She opened the door and beckoned Tim inside. The boy had come prepared with a small bouquet of flowers for both Grace and Avery. Grace gently took hers thanking the boy as he stepped into the house.

G: “Avery will be just out. She’s just getting her coat”

T: “Thank you Mrs Ryder”

G:”oh there’s no need to be so formal. Call me Grace. I’ll be right back”

Grace wandered into the kitchen to get a vase. She shot a look at Judd that said “don’t you dare. I will have you sleeping on the couch if you say anything to that boy” as she passed. Re-emerging Grace was unsurprised to find Judd standing tall and glaring down at the boy as he made sure Tim knew Avery was to be home no later than 11. 11:01 was unacceptable. What Grace hadn’t anticipated was for her sweet Henry to be standing by his dad, mirroring Judd’s posture and glare as he too stared down Tim. Oh god now she had two of them.

Before Grace had the chance to tell Judd to ease up, Avery wandered into the room looking beautiful. Judd’s attention was drawn as he watched Tim give Avery her flowers. Avery then passed them to Grace who had a second vase ready and waiting. Avery and Tim then turned to leave. On her way out Avery kissed each of her family members on the cheek ( _this softened Judd a fair amount_ ) as she called out “love you all. See you later!”.

Once Avery was gone, Henry returned to his game and Grace wrapped her arms around Judd. They spent a moment just looking into each other’s eyes until Grace pulled back and asked the room: “looks like it’s just me and my boys tonight. What are we going to watch?”

When Avery returned at 10:52, Judd and Grace were cuddled up on the couch chatting quietly. Avery had a beaming smile on her face and had clearly enjoyed her night. She said goodnight to both of her parents and retreated to her room ( _Grace didn’t push Avery for the details. She knew the girl would tell her in the morning_ ). Grace turned to Judd with a fond smile:

“See that wasn’t so bad. Based on her smile, I’d say she had a fun night. Come on, my love. I think it’s time you and I head to bed too”

Judd just nodded and followed Grace to their room. He was still struggling with letting go a bit with Avery but with Grace by his side he knew things would be okay. Grace was right- they’d raised Avery well and she’d had a fantastic role model of a strong woman in Grace. His girl was going to just fine.

  
*Years later. It’s Role Reversal time*

A few years later and it was Grace’s turn to freak out. Her baby boy was going on his first date. A day Grace had been dreading was upon her. Her baby boy had just come home and informed her and Judd that he’d asked out a girl he liked from school. He’d done it very respectfully and with full southern charm ( _Grace had overheard Judd coaching him over the last few days_ ) so she was incredibly proud. Yet Grace was still struggling. She was beginning to feel more sympathy for how Judd must have felt when Avery went on her first date years prior. This was hard- Henry was her baby baby. He was her youngest and her little miracle ( _He had such a big age gap with Avery because they hadn’t thought they were able to have more children. Henry had been a surprise gift from God_ ). He was a mama’s boy through and through and Grace wasn’t ready for him to grow up. She couldn’t stop it though, she knew it was inevitable. After all he was now 16 and as tall as his father. Visibly he was the perfect blend of his parents- he looked like Judd but had some structural features of Grace; and his skin colour was a nice blend. He was lighter than his sister - more obviously mixed race. He was a handsome young man indeed.

Noticing his wife’s discomfort when Henry left in his best button up shirt and chinos holding a small bouquet for his date, Judd came over and embraced her from behind: “he’s still your baby boy you know”. Grace turned and settled against Judd’s chest.

G: “I know. Same as Avery is still our baby girl, even at 22. It’s just...I didn’t think it would be this hard to see him grow up. He’s our last one- without him we become empty nesters”

J: “I still cannot believe our baby’s are 22 and 16. Wow we are old...as for the empty nester aspect, it was just us for years before them. We managed it then, we’ll be okay when the time comes. Which isn’t now, for the record. That’s a far off problem. He is only 16- we’ve got at least a few more years I reckon”

G: “you gave him the talk didn’t you? Like he’s prepared? I know he’s not going to be pressuring a girl for sex on a first date- we raised him better than that- but did you talk to him about urges and condoms and all the boy stuff he’s going to need to know soon.”

J: ( _laughing_ ) “yes I had the talk with him a while back. It’s all handled. He knows everything he needs to know. And if he chooses to take that step- I’ve made sure we won’t be getting any surprise grandchildren. You, my love are just panicking”

G: “hey you panicked when Av went on her first date. It’s my turn, darling”

J: “that it is indeed. Come here. It’s my turn to distract you as you did for me that night. How about some cuddles on the couch?”

When Henry returned ( _just before curfew_ ), complete with the buzz of young love, he found his parents fast asleep in each other’s arms. He went and grabbed a blanket, carefully draping it over them both. Henry whispered “night mama and daddy” to the room before retreating to bed himself. He’d always be respectful and loving in his relationships with women because he’d been raised with the best example. He knew Avery felt the same, they were lucky to have such a loving set of parents.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *read after story*
> 
> That’s right! Avery has a brother! I couldn’t resist giving them another child. I loved that it provided the opportunity for Grace to have her own little panic session over her babies growing up.


	28. The Bones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes all that’s needed in life is a barefoot dance round the house

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics taken from “The Bones” by Maren Morris. 
> 
> I wanted to find a song to have them dance to and this one came to mind. I like the idea of it being a reminder of how solid their marriage is. It’s a constant in each of their life’s and I hope this does the idea justice.

> _We're in the homestretch of the hard times We took a hard left, But we're alright_

It was quiet in the Ryder household apart from the faint country radio playing in the background. It was late in the evening and Grace was washing dishes while Judd sorted through the laundry. Both were barefoot and in pyjamas. It was a relaxing kind of evening. The song playing changed to one of Grace’s current favourites and she decided to act on an impulse. She wanted to dance.

> Yeah, life sure can try to put love through it, but We built this right, so nothing's ever gonna move it

Grace made her way over to Judd and extended her hand to him “care to dance cowboy?”. It was a testament to how much Judd loved and understood Grace that he didn’t even blink an eye at the random request. Judd opted to abandon his folding and take Grace’s outstretched hand, spinning her in a circle.  
  


> When the bones are good, the rest don't matter Yeah, the paint could peel, the glass could shatter

  
Judd pulled Grace in close to him swaying her slightly as they got situated. Grace placed one of her hands on Judd’s shoulder and clasped the other in his. Judd’s hand found Grace’s back creating a waltz position. From there, Judd took the lead and started to dramatically waltz them around the room while Grace threw her head back laughing. Judd always reserved his carefree, goofy side solely for her and Grace adored it. He was adorable to her in that moment.

> Let it rain 'cause you and I remain the same When there ain't a crack in the foundation Baby, I know any storm we're facing Will blow right over while we stay put The house don't fall when the bones are good

Eventually he settled and slowed their movements. Grace shuffled her body closer in his embrace changing their positioning to more of a close embrace. Grace decided she wanted more contact so she climbed up onto Judd’s toes. Judd just laughed and stepped around the room hugging Grace close to him. At this point they were more just swaying together than actually dancing but neither minded. It wasn’t about the dancing after all ( _Neither was claiming to be a gifted dancer_ ). It was simply about being close to each other.

> Call it dumb luck, but baby, you and I Can't even mess it up, yeah, though we both tried No, it don't always go the way we planned it But the wolves came and went and we're still standing

They continued like this for the full duration of the song and the next, swaying lightly and gazing into each other’s eyes. A few kisses were slipped in every now and then. These were the moments where Grace felt truly connected to Judd. Not just physically but in her very soul. Grace knew that when she was old and grey and looking back on her life, she’d think of moments like this one. When nothing else in the world mattered. When all the worries of the world faded away and her world was consumed by a song and a dance. Grace would remember the little moments of loving Judson Ryder and building a life with him. These moments were something she could never forget. They were the bones of her marriage, the reason it would persevere through whatever life threw their way. They were her source of happiness. 

>   
>  When the bones are good, the rest don't matter

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed. Any suggestions for future stories are welcome!


End file.
